Tropical cyclones affect Vietnam and the Philippines by Laura Gilchrist
Vietnam felt the affects of a cyclone at the weekend, and the Philippine islands are preparing for the arrival of another.
Central parts of Vietnam were being warned of flash flooding and landslides caused by heavy rain from the cyclone, which came ashore on Monday. Six fishermen were thrown overboard when their fishing boat capsized in heavy seas just two miles from shore. One crew member managed to swim to safety, but after a search by rescue workers one fisherman still remains unaccounted for. One of the two other victims of the storm was killed by a falling electricity pylon.
The Philippines are on alert for Tropical Storm Xangsane, which is currently 460 miles (740 km) east-southeast of the capital city of Manila. The cyclone is currently forecast to make landfall north of Manila on Thursday, but may affect outlying islands before then. Xangsane is currently on a strengthening trend and could reach typhoon strength before landfall, with steady wind speeds of 75 mph (120 km/h). After weakening to a tropical storm over land, Xangsane could restrengthen into typhoon once again when it passes out into the South China Sea, west of the Philippines. From there, Xangsane is currently forecast to head in the direction of the Chinese island province of Hainan by early next week.
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