Typhoon Bualoi latest: Vietnam evacuates thousands and shuts airports as storm nears landfall

At least 26 people have been killed and 14 remain missing in the Philippines after Typhoon Bualoi, known locally as Opong, battered the country with days of torrential rain, floods and landslides.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said more than 2.7 million people across 738,000 families have been affected.

Over 163,000 people are staying in nearly 2,700 evacuation centres, while another 119,000 are being supported outside shelters.

The worst-hit regions include Bicol, which reported nine deaths, and Cagayan Valley with eight fatalities.

Nearly 9,000 homes were damaged, and relief funds have been distributed to about 150,000 families.

The storm struck just days after Super Typhoon Ragasa, which left more than 20 dead in Taiwan and the Philippines.

Deputy minister Nguyen Hoang Hiep has warned that Bualoi’s impact zone is unusually wide, with strong winds and heavy rain expected to stretch from Ninh Bình in the north down to Hà Tĩnh in central Vietnam.

He cautioned that unlike a recent storm which weakened near land, Bualoi “is moving extremely fast and becomes stronger as it nears the shore”.

Under instruction from the National Civil Defence Steering Committee, local governments are urged not to underestimate the storm’s reach and to begin preparations now, especially in flood- and landslide-prone districts.

In Ho Chi Minh City, officials are warning that severe rainfall could trigger urban flooding in areas with poor drainage as Typhoon Bualoi’s outer bands approach.

Local authorities said downpours may disrupt traffic and daily life across the city.

Meanwhile, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has reiterated that rainfall may expand into northern Laos and the central belt through 1 October, posing risks to hydropower dams, river basins and border areas.

Da Nang and other coastal resort areas have closed beaches and banned tourist visits as Typhoon Bualoi approaches.

City authorities ordered people off shorelines and suspended beach activities to keep visitors safe, and access to popular spots such as the Son Trà peninsula has been temporarily halted.

In Thanh Hóa’s Sam Sơn, which until recently still had holidaymakers on the sand, local officials have warned tourists to leave coastal areas immediately and urged businesses to suspend sea-based services.

The moves are part of broader precautions to reduce risk from strong winds, large waves and possible storm surge along the central coast.

Typhoon Bualoi is racing across the Sea of Japan at nearly twice the speed of a normal storm, driven by powerful atmospheric forces.

Truong Ba Kien, deputy director of the Center for Meteorological and Climate Research, told VN Express that “a strong subtropical high is acting like a conveyor belt, keeping the storm on a fast and stable track.”

Warm seas and calm atmospheric conditions are also helping it maintain strength.

Scientists warn this rare combination could allow Bualoi to intensify further at sea, with winds reaching up to 149 kmph, while its speed means destructive winds may push deep inland. If landfall coincides with high tide, the risk of severe storm surge will be extreme.

Typhoon Bualoi is the second major storm to hit Asia in a week, following the devastation left by Typhoon Ragasa.

Ragasa, described as one of the strongest storms to strike the region in recent years, caused at least 28 deaths in the northern Philippines and Taiwan, most of them by drowning, before making landfall in southern China and weakening as it crossed into Vietnam on Thursday.

In the Philippines, Ragasa damaged thousands of homes, toppled power lines, and forced mass evacuations, while Taiwan reported severe flooding and landslides in mountainous areas.

Meteorologists say storms are becoming stronger and wetter as the climate warms, with warmer oceans fuelling more intense rainfall and higher wind speeds across East Asia.

Vietnam’s disaster authorities have warned that storm surges of more than one metre could strike central coastal provinces if Typhoon Bualoi makes landfall at high tide.

Officials say the risk is particularly acute for low-lying areas, where sea walls may be overtopped.

Heavy rain warnings have also been extended through 1 October, with forecasters expecting the heaviest falls between Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh.

Emergency teams remain on alert for flash floods and landslides in mountainous districts.

Border guards along Vietnam’s coast have warned nearly 68,000 fishing boats with more than 286,000 crew to stay clear of Typhoon Bualoi’s path.

Officials said all vessels had received the alerts by Friday and were moving into safe zones, with none left exposed at sea.

In Thanh Hoa province, north-central Vietnam, authorities imposed a fishing ban from 6am on Saturday until the storm passes. Local leaders have been told to make sure boats remain anchored and that no one stays on board during landfall.

Vietnam has mobilised more than 417,000 military personnel and thousands of vehicles to support storm preparation and response efforts ahead of Typhoon Bualoi.

That includes 118,919 troops and nearly 9,088 vehicles, according to Vietnam News.

Coastal authorities have alerted some 68,000 fishing vessels in regions from Quang Ninh to Lam Dong to stay in safe harbours, warning crews not to risk the seas.

The government has also ordered strict protection measures for dykes, aquaculture farms, schools, and vulnerable infrastructure, urging local leaders to act decisively.

Rescue teams are still searching for three fishermen missing at sea after their boat sank off Cửa Việt, a coastal town in Quảng Trị province, central Vietnam.

Eight others were rescued after two vessels were battered by high waves about 1.5 km from shore.Quảng Trị lies on Vietnam’s central coast, just north of Huế, and is one of the provinces expected to feel Bualoi’s full impact.

Meteorologists said that at 07:00 local time the storm’s centre was about 170 km east of Huế, carrying winds of 118-133 km/h.

Coastal waters from Thanh Hóa to Quảng Ngãi remain under warnings for dangerous seas and high waves.