Vietnam braces for Typhoon Kajiki as it nears coast

25/8/2025 13:30

Vietnam has shut down airports, closed schools, and begun mass evacuations as it prepares for the most powerful storm so far this year.



Typhoon Kajiki, with gusts of up to 166 kph at sea, was around 110 km off the northern part of Vietnam's central coast as of 0300 GMT and was due to make landfall on Monday afternoon, the country's weather agency said.



"This is an extremely dangerous fast-moving storm," the government said in a statement on Sunday night, warning that Kajiki would bring heavy rains, flooding and landslides.



With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to storms that are often deadly and trigger dangerous flooding and mudslides.



Kajiki is forecast to hit provinces that are less industrialised than the area struck last year by Typhoon Yagi, which killed around 300 people and caused property damage of around $3.3 billion.



The storm is projected to move inland across Laos and northern Thailand.