At least three people have been killed in Vietnam after Typhoon Kajiki battered northern and central areas of the country, bringing fierce winds and torrential rains that collapsed homes, felled trees and turned streets in the capital, Hanoi, into rivers.
The storm, which made landfall in Vietnam on Monday, also left at least 10 people wounded, authorities said on Tuesday.
It has now crossed into Laos, weakened into a tropical depression.
Vietnam’s government, in a statement, said Kajiki damaged nearly 7,000 homes, inundated 28,800 hectares (71,166 acres) of rice plantings and felled some 18,000 trees. It also brought down 331 electricity poles, causing widespread blackouts in Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Thai Nguyen and Phu Tho provinces.
The country’s national weather agency forecast continued downpours through Tuesday, with some areas likely to get up to 150 millimetres (6 inches) of rain in six hours, potentially causing flash floods and landslides.
In Hanoi, local media reported that continued heavy rains have caused widespread flooding, submerging streets, stalling vehicles and snarling traffic.
According to VN Express, the floodwaters on National Highway 6, which links Hanoi with northwestern provinces, reached nearly 1 metre (3.2 feet) in some places, stalling cars and motorbikes.
Ahead of the storm’s landfall, Vietnamese authorities evacuated some 44,000 people across five provinces and called all fishing boats back to harbour.
The military has also mobilised more than 346,000 personnel and 8,200 vehicles, including five aircraft, to support storm relief, according to Viet Nam News.
The military has instructed its troops to remain on high alert and prepare for rapid deployment in areas vulnerable to landslides and flash floods.
Human-caused climate change is driving more intense and unpredictable weather patterns that can make destructive floods and storms more likely, particularly in the tropics.
In Vietnam, more than 100 people have been killed or left missing from natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
Economic losses have been estimated at more than $21m.
Vietnam suffered $3.3bn in economic losses last September as a result of Typhoon Yagi, which swept across the country’s north and caused hundreds of deaths.
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