a. From 21-24 September 2022, a low-pressure area over the far east waters of the Philippine Sea intensified into a tropical depression (TD) and into a Tropical Storm (TS) while moving westwards towards the Philippine landmass and was given the name Tropical Cyclone (TC) NORU (Philippine local name: Karding). On 24 September, TC NORU intensified into a Severe Tropical Storm (STS) and then rapidly into a Typhoon (TY) with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h near the centre (equivalent to a Category 1 Hurricane in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale (SSHWS)). Early morning of 25 September, NORU underwent a series of rapid intensifications and a period of explosive intensification and reached Super Typhoon (STY) Category by 0700 UTC+7, at most Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) no. 5 (the strongest TCWS that can be issued) was raised over provinces directly in the cyclone’s landfall and track in the Philippines. On the same day, TC NORU made its initial landfall in the vicinity of Burdeos in Quezon Province, Philippines and again around 1900 UTC+7 in Dingalan in Aurora Province, Philippines as a TY-category cyclone. TC NORU left the Philippine Area of Responsibility as of 1900 UTC+7, 26 September according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
b. From 26-27 September, TC NORU made its way through the West Philippine SeaSouth China Sea-Viet Nam’s East Sea waters while going through a series of intensification and maintaining its strength. As of the forecast information from 2000 UTC+7 from the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF), the cyclone’s centre was located based on all available data at 15.7 degrees North latitude, 110.2 degrees East longitude about 180km East of the mainland of Da NangQuang Ngai area. The strongest wind in the area near the centre of the storm was measured at 134-166 km/h equivalent to a Category 2 Hurricane on the SaffirSimpson Scale. The strong winds extend outwards about 250km from the center of the storm and the strongest winds about 100km.
c. On 1500 UTC+7, 27 September 2022, the Viet Nam Disaster Management Authority (VNDMA) held the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership (DRRP) meeting to discuss and update on the response to TC NORU (Viet Nam local name: Storm No. 4) and was chaired by Mr. Tran Quang Hoai – Director General of the VNDMA and Vice Chairman of the Disaster Risk Reduction Partnership. The agenda of the meeting is summarised as follows:
Updated forecast information on TC NORU (Storm No. 4) from NCHMF
Update information on the response activities to TC NORU (Storm No. 4)
Action Plan triggering the Emergency Relief
FAO Sharing on Anticipatory Action Trigger in response to TC NORU (Storm No. 4) in Quang Tri and Thua Thien Hue
d. On 1630 UTC+7, the AHA Centre deliberated on its course of action for the assistance to be provided and shall complement on-going efforts in the potentially affected areas in Viet Nam in accordance as well with the directives from VNDMA detailed in the DRRP meeting. The course of action by AHA is summarised as follows:
Deployment of the two (2) staffs of the AHA Centre as the AHA Centre’s In-Country Liaison Team (ICLT).
Deployment of the three (3) members of the ASEAN Emergency Response and Assessment Team (ASEAN-ERAT) to support the rapid needs assessment coordinated by the VNDMA.
DELSA relief items from Subang, Malaysia and Chainat, Thailand are on standby for a potential mobilisation to Viet Nam if requested.
Source: ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance
Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations