Tropical Storm Narra remained almost stationary over the northern Gulf of Tonkin on Sunday, August 23, prolonging a dangerous spell of heavy rain, river flooding and landslides across northeastern Vietnam.
Landslides along the Lang Son border and flooding in Lang Son and parts of Quang Ninh caused by the impact of Storm No. 4 (#Narra). pic.twitter.com/2iGfdMH5e5
— SC-VN (@EMHGC_2021) August 23, 2026
Known locally as Storm No. 4, Narra has followed an unusually slow and erratic track near the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong coast. By Sunday evening, Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) placed the storm about 145 km (90 mi) east-southeast of Quang Ninh, moving at only around 3 km/h (2 mph).
23 Ağustos 2026 Vietnam 🇻🇳
— Hermes (@hermesisos) August 23, 2026
Tonkin Körfezi
Tropikal Fırtına NARRA 🌀 pic.twitter.com/ulTyUhEpzg
The storm’s slow movement has become one of its most dangerous characteristics. Instead of quickly crossing the region, Narra has allowed moisture-rich rain bands to repeatedly affect the same areas.
Flooding and Landslides Hit Northern Vietnam
Lạng Sơn has experienced some of the most serious impacts.
Heavy rain associated with the storm has caused widespread flooding and slope failures, with at least one person killed in a landslide. Updated local reports Sunday said almost 2,400 homes were flooded, while other buildings suffered wind and flood damage.
August 23_2⃣
— Irene (@irene_makarenko) August 23, 2026
Climate Awareness🆘
🌊Flooding in Guangxi Zhuang AR, #China
🌊Prolonged heavy rainfall and severe flooding in Lang Son and Quang Ninh provinces #Vietnam
🚨Another moderate M5.9 earthquake in #Japan, near Hokkaido, 46 km deep
🌋Activity at Mt Merapi, Java, #Indonesia https://t.co/PqPpwjQDNI pic.twitter.com/7xB0eSQ1JC
Thousands of residents have been evacuated as rivers continue to rise. In Thất Khê, floodwater associated with the Kỳ Cùng River reportedly reached nearly 2 m (6.6 ft) deep in some areas, prompting emergency evacuations.
Quảng Ninh is also facing a serious landslide threat after prolonged rainfall. Authorities evacuated 375 people from 107 households as dozens of landslides were reported across the province.
Rivers Rose Above Critical Levels
The rainfall is now translating into a significant river-flood event.
By Sunday afternoon, several rivers across northeastern Vietnam had exceeded their highest warning thresholds. The Trung River at Hữu Lũng stood 1.79 m (5.9 ft) above Warning Level 3, while the Kỳ Cùng at Lạng Sơn and other rivers were also above critical levels.
Further rises were forecast overnight into Monday, meaning flooding could worsen even where rainfall begins to ease.
Why is Tropical Storm Narra Producing So Much Rain?
Narra has become trapped within weak steering currents over the Gulf of Tonkin. With little atmospheric flow available to push the cyclone away quickly, its circulation has repeatedly drawn deep tropical moisture inland.
Northern Vietnam’s mountainous terrain then intensifies the rainfall through orographic lift. Moist air arriving from the Gulf is forced upward over the terrain, cooling and condensing into heavier precipitation.
The same mountains also make the resulting rainfall particularly dangerous. Water rapidly funnels from steep slopes into narrow valleys and river systems, while increasingly saturated soils become vulnerable to landslides and debris flows.
Rainfall remains a major concern through Monday. Parts of northeastern Vietnam could receive another 60–120 mm (2.4–4.7 in), with localized totals above 250 mm (9.8 in). Narra is expected to remain slow-moving before gradually turning southeastward toward the outer Gulf of Tonkin
