(Photo: VGP)

After receding by 0.3 to 1.4 meters for more than a day, floodwaters began rising again from Wednesday noon on the Bo and Huong rivers in Hue City, and the Vu Gia–Thu Bon river system in Da Nang. According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 3 p.m. Wednesday, floods on the Bo, Huong, Vu Gia, Thu Bon and Tra Khuc rivers had all surpassed the third warning level.

Authorities said the new surge was caused by extremely heavy rainfall in the upper reaches of these rivers. From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, rainfall reached 406 mm at Bach Ma peak (Hue), 232 mm at Ba Na (Da Nang), and 170 mm at Tra Nham (Quang Ngai).

In Hue City, total rainfall between Tuesday and Wednesday reached 1,739 mm at Bach Ma peak — the highest in Vietnam’s history and the second largest globally, just behind the 1,825 mm measured at a French weather station in the Indian Ocean in 1966.

Local authorities have mobilized all available forces to assist residents in affected areas. Tran The Phan, Commander of the Quang Ngai Provincial Military Command said: “The Provincial Military Command has gathered canoes and other vehicles, both at headquarters and in key areas. Our rapid-response teams and canoe drivers are ready. If the situation worsens or local authorities request help, we’ll immediately deploy these forces to evacuate people and protect their lives and property.”