IN PHOTOS | Tropical storm Wipha hits South East Asia
Storm makes landfall in Vietnam as people in the Philippines deal with ongoing rainfall
Tropical storm Wipha weakened after making landfall in northern Vietnam on Tuesday, where authorities are on alert due to heavy rains that could cause flooding and mudslides, as the Philippines struggled with monsoon downpours that began last week.
Wipha hit the northern provinces of Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa early Tuesday afternoon with wind speeds of up to 74 km/h, slowing from around 100 km/h on its approach, the national weather forecasting agency said.
With a long coastline facing the South China Sea, Vietnam is prone to typhoons that can become deadly. Wipha is the first major storm to hit this year.
Heavy rains of up to 50 centimetres were forecast to continue into Wednesday, and authorities warned people to watch out for landslides in mountainous areas and flooding in urban areas. About 350,000 soldiers were put on standby.
Vietnam Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had put coastal provinces on emergency footing as Wipha neared. Last year, Typhoon Yagi, killed an estimated 300 people and caused $3.3 billion in damage.
Flooding, closures and a wet wedding
In the Philippines, Wipha has intensified already torrential monsoon rains, triggering knee- to waist-deep flooding across parts of the country and forcing a second day of school closures, flight cancellations and the suspension of government work.
Thousands of families remained in evacuation centres as relentless rains, which swept through northern regions last week, continued to batter the country.
In Malolos, a city in the Philippines' Bulacan province, newlyweds Jade Rick Verdillo and Jamaica Aguilar were determined to walk down the aisle — even if it meant walking down a flooded one.
On Tuesday, heavy rain flooded the Barasoain Church in Malolos. The couple had anticipated the risk of flooding, but instead of letting the weather dampen the mood, they decided to push through.
"We just mustered enough courage," Verdillo said. "We decided today because it is a sacrifice in itself. But there will be more sacrifices if we don't push through today."
Aguilar waded down the aisle through waters almost up to her knees, her white dress and wedding train floating behind her. At the altar, Verdillo was waiting to receive her while wearing an embroidered shirt — called a barong tagalog — worn during special occasions.
The couple has been together for 10 years. "I feel that challenges won't be over," Verdillo said. "It's just a test. This is just one of the struggles that we've overcome."
Despite the turbulent weather, some family and friends made it to the wedding.
"You will see love prevailed because even against weather, storm, rains, floods, the wedding continued," said Jiggo Santos, a wedding guest. "It's an extraordinary wedding."
With files from AP