Northern Vietnam is reeling from devastating floods triggered by torrential rains following Typhoon Matmo, which have claimed at least three lives and damaged thousands of homes. The latest disaster marks yet another blow in a relentless storm season that experts warn is being worsened by climate change.
Although Typhoon Matmo did not make direct landfall, its outer rainbands pounded northern provinces on Tuesday, overflowing rivers and unleashing landslides in communities already struggling to recover from four previous storms since September. Streets turned into rivers as homes and farmland were submerged, leaving many residents stranded and rescue teams scrambling to deliver food and relief supplies by boat.
According to source more than 4,800 homes have been affected so far. Three people have been confirmed dead following landslides in Cao Bang and Thanh Hoa provinces, while four others remain missing after being swept away by floodwaters in Thai Nguyen and Thanh Hoa. Search and rescue operations are ongoing amid warnings of continued flooding in low-lying areas.
In Thai Nguyen province, located north of Hanoi, the surging Cau River burst its banks, inundating entire communities within hours. Locals described how the floodwaters rose so quickly that they had no time to save their belongings. “The water came like a wave we barely escaped,” one resident told local media as boats ferried stranded families to safety.
Although rainfall subsided by Wednesday, officials warned that river levels remain dangerously high and could continue to threaten vulnerable areas through the weekend. In response, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has approved a 140 billion VND ($5.3 million) emergency relief fund for the hardest-hit northern provinces.
Vietnam faces between 10 and 13 tropical cyclones each year, but scientists say the storms are growing more powerful and unpredictable. “The increased frequency and intensity of storms across the region point clearly to the influence of climate change,” said Benjamin Horton of City University of Hong Kong’s School of Energy and Environment.
This year’s storm season began in August and has already brought destructive typhoons like Kajiki, Ragasa, and Bualoi before Matmo’s arrival. Climate experts warn that warmer sea surface temperatures are fueling stronger storms, heavier rainfall, and prolonged flooding all signs of a warming planet reshaping weather patterns across East Asia.
As communities in northern Vietnam wade through the aftermath, the country faces a grim reminder of how climate extremes are testing its resilience and of the urgent need for global action to curb the escalating toll of a changing climate.