Skip to main content

ASEAN Weekly Disaster Update, 21 – 27 Oct 2019

Countries
Viet Nam
+ 2 more
Sources
AHA Centre
Publication date
Origin
View original

REGIONAL SUMMARY:

There were no significant events that occurred during the week, the disaster situation in ASEAN featured several geophysical events, ranging from minor volcanic activities to strong earthquake events in Indonesia. Meanwhile, the hydro-meteorological risks remained low as the Southwest Monsoon continued to weaken, although localised storms and heavy rains resulted to flooding that caused minor damages in several provinces in Viet Nam.

HIGHLIGHT:

The previous reported flooding event in Nghe An province, Viet Nam resulted to four (4) deaths and over 2,000 hectares of ponds damaged. Likewise, minor damages in five (5) provinces were also reported due to landslides and erosion during the past week. Meanwhile, effects of the M6.3 earthquake that struck North Cotabato, Philippines on 16 October 2019 revealed that there were 7 fatalities and 215 injured and more than 7,000 infrastructures totally damaged. There are still 4,600 persons being catered in three (3) evacuation centres as per latest update from the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC). The response is currently being handled by local and national authorities.

HYDRO-METEO-CLIMATOLOGICAL:

Most parts of the equatorial ASEAN region continued to experience showers during the week, but southern Sumatra (Indonesia) remained dry and hundreds of hotspot activities are still present. Isolated rain showers fell over the northern part of the region but there were no low pressure area, depression or tropical cyclones over the Pacific during the period.

GEOPHYSICAL:

There were nine (9) earthquake events with magnitude 5.0 and above that occurred last week in Indonesia (BMKG). After the M 6.3 earthquake event in North Cotabato, Philippines on 16 October 2019, there were two hundred eighty-seven (287) aftershocks events during the period but all were below magnitude 5.0 (PHIVOLCS) Separately, there were volcanic activities for Sangeang Api and Krakatau Volcanoes (Indonesia), however, both of the volcanoes remains in level II alerts and being monitored closely by the government.

OUTLOOK:

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) forecasts that showers will occur in the equatorial and southern part of the ASEAN region, although drier weather can be expected for southern parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan, and the Java Sea area (Indonesia). The prevailing winds will remain light over the equatorial areas and blow from the southeast or south.