Heavy rains and floods hit Vietnam by Alex Deakin
A week of heavy rain in central and northern Vietnam has left at least 20 people dead and hundreds stranded or homeless as flood waters continue to rise.
The rain in the capitol, Hanoi, has been described as the heaviest since 1984. Over 350mm (13 inches) has fallen since Friday, meaning streets have been turned into rivers and thousands of acres of crops have been destroyed.
By the end of Friday, rain in the central provinces was starting to ease, but it is likely to continue for another few days in northern parts, where forecasters are warning of further flash floods and landslides.
Vietnam is very prone to heavy rain and floods as it is dominated by a tropical monsoon climate. Amounts of rainfall vary considerably from place to place and depending on the time of year, but in Hanoi, the wet season typically runs April to October, so should be drawing to a close around this time of year.
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