News of 'a strong storm is about to hit Quang Ninh' spread online, weather expert 'speaks out'

Social networks have recently spread information that a strong storm (level 12 wind) will appear and directly affect Quang Ninh in early May 2025. This afternoon, April 20, Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, Head of Weather Forecast Department, National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, affirmed: “Based on the general understanding of climate laws, the necessary conditions for the formation of strong storms, historical statistics, and importantly, current long-range observation and forecast data from meteorological agencies of Vietnam and international (USA, Japan, China, Australia, European meteorological agency), information about a strong storm (level 12) appearing and directly affecting Quang Ninh in early May 2025 has no scientific basis”.

Mr. Huong further emphasized that monitoring data over the past 30 years shows that there has never been a strong storm making landfall or directly affecting Quang Ninh in early May 2025.

Regarding the storm season in the East Sea and the Northwest Pacific , Mr. Huong shared that storms are most active from about June to November. Strong storms, especially those that can directly affect the Northern region such as Quang Ninh, often concentrate in the middle and late months of the storm season (from July to October). The conditions for a tropical cyclone to develop and reach the intensity of a strong storm (such as level 12) require a combination of many factors that were not present in early May 2025, so a strong storm could not form.

“The weather is always uncertain, and the possibility of other dangerous weather patterns appearing in May 2025 (thunderstorms, tornadoes, lightning, hail, strong gusts of wind, and localized heavy rain) cannot be ruled out; as for the scenario of a level 12 storm affecting Quang Ninh in early May 2025 as rumored, it is unlikely to appear,” said Mr. Huong.

Forecasting storms in the coming time in the East Sea and the possibility of affecting our country, the Head of the Weather Forecast Department said that the Hydrometeorological Forecasting Center assessed that the ENSO phenomenon is in neutral conditions; from May to July 2025, ENSO is likely to maintain a neutral state with a probability of 70-90%.

Based on current observation and forecast data for the 2025 storm season, the number of storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea and affecting the mainland is likely to be similar to the average of many years in the same period (about 11-13 storms in the East Sea and 4-5 storms affecting the mainland). The possibility of storms will be more concentrated in the second half of the storm season.

Ngoc Nga

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/tin-sap-xuat-hien-con-bao-manh-vao-quang-ninh-loan-tren-mang-chuyen-gia-thoi-tiet-len-tieng-post546026.html