Typhoon Molave intensifies as it approaches Vietnam

Typhoon Molave intensifies as it approaches Vietnam. Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory shows Typhoon Molave as it crossed the South China Sea, barreling its way toward Vietnam on October 27, 2020.

Vietnam has already endured three deadly tropical storms this month, which resulted in the worst flooding the country has seen in decades. Typhoon Molave intensifies as it approaches Vietnam

Typhoon Molave is expected to make landfall in southern Vietnam on the morning of October 28, and more than a million people have been ordered to evacuate. 

The powerful storm intensified after causing deadly flooding in the Philippines, and will likely maintain maximum winds of up to 115 miles per hour as it arrives in Vietnam, where there are concerns that landslides may be triggered in mountainous areas. 

The image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite. Archaeological excavations indicate that Vietnam was inhabited as early as the Paleolithic age. The ancient Vietnamese nation, which was centered on the Red River valley and nearby coastal areas, was annexed by the Han dynasty in the 2nd century BC, which subsequently made Vietnam a division of Imperial China for over a millennium. The first independent monarchy emerged in the 10th century AD. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer