Deputy Minister Phung Duc Tien also noted that the country may still experience the 16th storm of the year in the closing weeks of 2025.

Providing an overview of the natural disaster and hydro-meteorological situation from the beginning of the year, Hoang Duc Cuong, Deputy Director of the Hydrometeorological Department, emphasized that 2025 has witnessed extremely unusual patterns of weather and disasters, leading to severe damage nationwide.

Of particular note, at the Bach Ma station in Thua Thien Hue, rainfall in October reached an extreme level of 1,739 mm in just 24 hours. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is currently reviewing this figure for potential recognition as one of the highest 24-hour rainfall totals ever recorded globally.

Storm and tropical depression activity in the East Sea also reached its highest level since Vietnam began keeping records in 1961. As of the end of November, 21 storms and tropical depressions had been recorded, surpassing the previous record of 20 set in 2017.

The 2025 storm season included numerous unusual and extreme phenomena. Storm No. 1 (WUTIP) was the first to appear in the East Sea in June—a rare event not seen in over 40 years. Storm No. 9 (RAGASA) reached level 17 winds, with gusts exceeding level 17, making it the strongest storm ever recorded in the East Sea. Meanwhile, a tropical depression in late November moved from the Indian Ocean to the northwestern Pacific, a trajectory never before documented in meteorological history.

Flooding in 2025 was especially widespread and severe. Peak flood levels on many rivers surpassed historical records, extending from the Northern and Central regions to the Central Highlands and the lower Mekong Delta.

For the first time in a single year, 20 rivers recorded either extreme or historic flooding, including the Cau River (Thai Nguyen, Bac Ninh), the Thuong River (Bac Giang), the Bang Giang River (Cao Bang), and the Lo River (Tuyen Quang). Most notably, the historic flood in eastern Dak Lak (formerly part of Phu Yen province) exceeded the flood peak of 1993 on the Ba River basin.

Deputy Director Hoang Duc Cuong noted that the series of unusual events in Vietnam and worldwide throughout 2025 suggests that traditional flood patterns are changing. The trend of increasingly extreme weather is becoming clearer, with significant fluctuations in storms, rainfall, and floods directly influenced by climate change.

Duc Hoang