Durian has wreaked havoc across southern Vietnam overnight (GMT). Although the system no longer carries excessive windforce, it still packed a punch with force 10 winds on the Beaufort scale. The worst problem though was flooding. The Mekong delta is very susceptible to flooding, and the Vietnamese authorities ordered (as in: forcibly) the evacuation of low-lying areas. Local residents found this very difficult to take, as Monday had been a very nice day. Communication with an off-shore island have been lost.
There is likely to be a considerable death toll, making Durian the worst tropical cyclone of the 2006 season worldwide. Its death tally in the Philippines continues to shoot through the roof (latest figures: 520 confirmed dead, 750 missing).
Durian is not done with southeast Asia. It is continuing westwards and will traverse the Malay Peninsula tomorrow (on the border between Malaysia and Thailand), to emerge into the Bay of Bengal. Although the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre is slightly contradictory in its assessment, India and Bangladesh should be on the look-out as well. Durian could reintensify.
This one stinks and stings - like the fruit it is named after.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I know toooo well about storms that have already done damage, passed on, and then reintensified... to be expected living in Florida... This season was fairly quiet for us in America, which makes me think the coming season will be pretty bad...
ReplyDelete~Amy
These are terrible reports of destruction and death with this storm!! Why on earth aren't we hearing even a peep on the local news casts of this?? Maybe it should have actually been named Damien. - Barbara
ReplyDelete