Vietnam officials warned Typhoon Kajiki may be as strong as last year’s Typhoon Yagi, which killed about 300 people and caused $3.3 billion in losses.
Vietnam said on Sunday it is evacuating over 3,00,000 people and has cancelled more than a dozen domestic flights as Typhoon Kajiki approaches, with landfall expected on Monday.
The civil aviation authority of Vietnam said airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces have been closed, while Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have cancelled multiple flights to and from the region.
Kajiki passed the southern coast of China’s Hainan Island on Sunday, prompting Sanya City to shut businesses and suspend public transport. “This is an extremely dangerous fast-moving storm,” the government warned in a Sunday night statement, cautioning of heavy rain, flooding, and landslides.
Officials also said that Kajiki could match the strength of Typhoon Yagi, which struck less than a year ago, killing around 300 people and causing $3.3 billion in damage.
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With its long South China Sea coastline, Vietnam is highly vulnerable to deadly storms that frequently trigger severe flooding and landslides. Currently at sea, Kajiki is churning the Gulf of Tonkin with waves reaching 9.5 metres (31 feet).
The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre noted that conditions indicated “an approaching weakening trend as the system approaches the continental shelf of the Gulf of Tonkin, where there is less ocean heat content.”
Impact of Typhoon Kajiki
• Authorities said more than 3,25,500 people in five coastal provinces will be relocated to schools and public buildings being used as evacuation centres. National carriers Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have cancelled multiple flights due to the approaching storm.
• Disaster management officials under the ministry of agriculture and environment warned: “The situation is extremely dangerous and not safe for any vehicles or structures such as tourism or fishing vessels and aquaculture raising facilities.”
• According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, Typhoon Kajiki is moving slowly past southern China with maximum sustained winds of 90 knots (167 kph) and is expected to intensify further.
• The China meteorological administration forecast heavy rainfall in Ha Tinh and Nghe An provinces on Monday and Tuesday, warning of strong winds that could impact power facilities, transport and other sectors.
• Typhoon Kajiki is the fifth tropical storm to hit Vietnam this year. Natural disasters in the first seven months of 2025 have left over 100 people dead or missing, with economic losses exceeding $21 million, according to the agriculture ministry.
• On China’s Hainan Island, authorities upgraded emergency response to the highest level, evacuating around 20,000 residents on Sunday, state news agency Xinhua reported.
• The island’s main city, Sanya, shut scenic spots and suspended business operations. Last September, Typhoon Yagi struck northern Vietnam, causing hundreds of deaths and inflicting around $3.3 billion in damage.
• Scientists warn that human-induced climate change is fuelling more intense and unpredictable weather patterns, increasing the risk of destructive storms and floods, especially in tropical regions.
