Typhoon Kalmaegi Targets Central Vietnam Today

Typhoon Kalmaegi accelerated toward Vietnam's south-central shoreline with a tightened landfall window from Thursday evening into early Friday, November 6-7, bringing destructive wind gusts and extreme rainfall to coastal provinces and the Central Highlands. Authorities warned of flash-flood and landslide risk well inland, while aviation, maritime, road, and rail operators moved to suspend service on exposed corridors. The same system left a trail of deadly flooding across the central Philippines earlier this week, where recovery operations continue and some transport services are only gradually resuming.

Central Vietnam, what changed today

Vietnam's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAV) moved from watches to targeted closures on Thursday, ordering temporary shutdowns at Phu Cat, Chu Lai, Tuy Hoa, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot, and Lien Khuong across the core landfall window. Time bands vary by field, generally spanning late Thursday afternoon or evening through the early hours of Friday, and are being adjusted as squalls pass. Major hubs such as Da Nang and Phu Bai are on heightened alert with potential operational limits if wind thresholds are exceeded.

Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and other carriers pre-canceled and retimed dozens of flights for November 6-7, shifting morning departures earlier where possible and pushing several Friday services past the storm's peak. Travelers booked through central Vietnam should expect same-day retimes, rolling delays and equipment swaps even at airports that remain technically open.

Maritime authorities have restricted coastal movements ahead of the blow, with a nationwide directive keeping small craft in port and several central seaports pausing operations. Expect pilots to suspend harbor moves during peak winds and large swell.

On the ground, police temporarily closed the Da Nang-Quang Ngai Expressway segment around Tam Ky and Quang Ngai for safety during severe squalls. Separately, rail operators began holding and suspending selected north-south services across central stations as conditions deteriorated Thursday evening.

Latest developments

Forecast rain totals of 200-400 millimeters are expected from Da Nang to Dak Lak, with local maxima over 600 millimeters in orographic zones. As the eye wall brushes the coast, dangerous onshore flow and a high-tide phase heighten flood potential in low-lying urban areas. U.S. Embassy Vietnam issued a weather alert aligning with an overnight landfall window into Friday morning.

In the Philippines, where Kalmaegi tracked earlier this week, authorities have confirmed a high death toll with hundreds of thousands displaced, while airports and ferries work through backlogs. Any traveler transiting Cebu or Palawan should allow long buffers for residual schedule changes and local road closures tied to debris removal and power restoration.

Analysis

For flyers, the near-term pattern is straightforward: the Thursday night to Friday dawn window is the worst for central Vietnam, with staggered reopenings Friday morning once airfield wind thresholds fall and crews complete inspections. If you are booked through Phu Cat, Tuy Hoa, Chu Lai, Pleiku, Buon Ma Thuot or Lien Khuong, move to the first available flight after the published reopening time bands and watch for gate-push holds as bands rotate across the runway environment. Where carriers offered no-fee rebooks, earlier seats are scarce until the cancellation wave clears.

Road travelers should avoid National Route 1A along unsheltered coastal stretches during peak squalls and never attempt flooded fords on Route 19 over the An Khê Pass into Gia Lai; authorities are staging closures proactively. If you must reposition by road, plan long detours and carry water, as multiple landslide-prone sections could close without notice.

For rail, Vietnam Railways' holds and suspensions are designed to keep trains out of treefall corridors and waterlogged cuttings. Expect staged resumptions from north and south once track patrols clear debris and inspect bridges after peak flows recede Friday. If you hold a central-segment ticket, monitor operator messages and be ready to split an itinerary at a major junction when service fragments.

Background

Western Pacific typhoons commonly re-intensify over the warm South China Sea after crossing the Philippine archipelago. When they arc into Vietnam's central coast, terrain amplifies rainfall, pushing life-threatening flash floods deep into the Central Highlands. That is why authorities pre-emptively close smaller airports, restrict coastal shipping, and finish last-mile evacuations before nightfall. This event follows a deadly Philippines phase, so regional capacity for relief flights and interline rebooking will be tight for several days.

Final thoughts

Typhoon Kalmaegi's same-day landfall window concentrates risk for central Vietnam from coast to highlands, while the Philippines clears flood damage and restores service. Keep checking airline and rail alerts, avoid coastal and mountain drives during peak bands, and plan to travel after Friday morning once safety inspections conclude.

Sources

• Typhoon Kalmaegi makes landfall in central Vietnam, bringing destructive winds and heavy rains
• Weather Alert - Storm Conditions in Central Vietnam Due to Typhoon Kalmaegi
• Aviation authority issues storm alert, airlines adjust schedules
• Vietnamese carriers cancel, delay flights due to looming typhoon
• Over 50 flights canceled, rescheduled as Typhoon Kalmaegi nears central Vietnam
• Vietjet advisory, Typhoon No. 13 (Kalmaegi)
• Vietnam orders vessel ban as central, southern regions brace for typhoon
• Da Nang-Quang Ngai expressway precautionary closure
• Rail holds and suspensions across central stations
• Philippines death toll and recovery context