Typhoon Wipha makes landfall: lightning strikes rock mountain in Ha Long Bay, wind gusts level 14 in the East Sea

Typhoon Wipha has been ravaging the region, causing serious damage. Lightning has set a mountain on fire in Ha Long Bay, while the East Sea has been hit by gusts of wind reaching level 14. Typhoon Wipha is showing its terrible destructive power, leaving serious consequences for the affected areas.

At around 2:15 p.m. the same day, a horrifying scene took place in Ha Long Bay: lightning struck a rocky mountain, causing a local fire. The incident not only damaged the landscape but also served as a stark warning about the severity of the weather. At the same time, in Ha Long and Bai Chay wards, thunderstorms accompanied by lightning swept through, causing some construction works to collapse onto cars and causing serious damage to property in many residential areas, typically Ha Lam ward. Images of devastated property and fallen trees are flooding social media, showing the terrible devastation of this thunderstorm.

Faced with the increasingly complex developments of storm No. 3 (storm Wipha), northern coastal provinces and cities such as Quang Ninh and Hai Phong are urgently activating preventive measures at the highest level. The entire government system is being put on alert, without a moment of negligence.

Notably, the Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee has ordered the entire government system to be ready to respond, and called on more than 5,000 ships and boats to return to shelters. This is a huge number, showing the scale and seriousness of the evacuation work, ensuring the safety of fishermen and vehicles at sea.

Not only that, the Quang Ninh Provincial Border Guard has mobilized about 400 officers and soldiers to coordinate with local authorities to urgently check areas at risk of landslides and flooding. They are supporting people to reinforce houses and cages in border and island areas, racing against every minute to minimize damage.

In particular, on the evening of July 19, an urgent action will be taken: the Border Guard will fire flares at the special zones of Co To, Van Don, Bai Chay... to urgently notify ships and boats still operating at sea to quickly enter safe shelters. This is the final warning signal, confirming the seriousness of the storm situation that is about to make landfall.

In addition, the Provincial People's Committee also requested the Inland Waterway Port Authority to clearly inform all tourists about the storm situation, avoiding congestion at coastal tourist areas. Plans to ensure the safety of people and vehicles, especially at coastal resorts, have been activated synchronously, without any errors.

Equally determined, on the morning of July 19, Vice Chairman of Hai Phong City People's Committee Tran Van Quan personally directed the entire storm response system. The city's Military Command maintained 24/7 combat duty, preparing forces and vehicles to respond promptly in case of incidents.

The Hai Phong City Border Guard quickly informed 1,657 ships and boats with 4,668 workers, 157 cages and 3 watchtowers about the storm and guided them to move safely to shelters. This was a huge effort to protect the lives and property of fishermen.

The leaders of Hai Phong City People's Committee also requested the Department of Agriculture and Environment to thoroughly inspect the dike and irrigation systems and immediately handle any incidents that arise. In particular, it is necessary to focus on 63 key points on the dikes, embankments, and culverts - "deadly points" that can cause dike failures if not reinforced promptly.

The Office of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention, Search and Rescue and Civil Defense was ordered to be on duty 24/7, closely monitor the storm situation, draft dispatches to direct response and continuously provide warning bulletins to localities. Localities must urgently mobilize supplies and forces according to the "four on-site" motto (on-site command, on-site forces, on-site supplies, on-site logistics), using the grassroots broadcasting system to promptly inform each person.

Hai Phong currently has 56,000 hectares of winter-spring rice, of which about 35,000 hectares are low-lying areas that are easily affected by heavy rains. Mr. Tran Van Quan requested that units proactively develop detailed scenarios and absolutely not be subjective to any developments. The Department of Agriculture and Environment is assigned to advise on directive documents, propose the time to ban fishing, plans to relocate cages and rafts, and support essential goods for people. The Department of Industry and Trade must ensure electricity and essential goods in all emergency situations.

Both Quang Ninh and Hai Phong are entering a fierce battle against natural disasters. All eyes are on the North, praying for the safety of the people and minimizing the damage from this dangerous storm Wipha.

International storm Wipha moves fast, has a very wide range, 5 provinces are most affected Minh Lợi22:05:49 19/07/2025On the morning of July 19, storm Wipha entered the East Sea and became storm number 3 in 2025, reaching level 10 intensity, gusting to level 12. The Prime Minister has just issued Official Dispatch No. 112 requesting ministries, branches and localities to focus on responding to storm number 3 in 2025.