Durian sweeps through Vietnam by Laura Gilchrist
After devastating parts of the Philippines, Durian has turned its attention to Vietnam. The tropical cyclone, just at typhoon strength at landfall, has swept through the southern tip of the country.
At least 47 people have reportedly been killed and more than 300 were injured when Durian slammed into the coast south of Hô Chi Minh City. Tens of thousands of homes have been destroyed by the storm, which had steady winds of about 73 mph (118 km/h) at landfall on Tuesday morning.
The cyclone weakened as it moved westward across the Mekong Delta, but it could regain typhoon strength later on Tuesday when it passes out over the warm waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Durian is heading for the Malay Peninsula, close to the holiday island of Ko Samui, and current forecasts suggest the storm will make landfall on the mainland north of Surat Thani on Wednesday.
Thereafter Durian will weaken, before passing into the Andaman Sea and on towards the Bay of Bengal. Pacific cyclones have been known to maintain their identity as far as the Bay of Bengal, but it is rare, and Durian is expected to dissipate there due to unfavourable atmospheric conditions.
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