By Thai Newsroom and AFP – published by CNA
TYPHOON Kalmaegi has weakened to a tropical storm as it roars into Thailand reaching Ubon Ratchathani province this afternoon (Nov. 7) after slamming into Vietnam yesterday and two days earlier killing 140 people in the Philippines.
The Thai Meteorological Department announced at 4 a.m. today that Kalmaegi was centred at Steung Treng province, Cambodia, moving at approximately 30km an hour. It will then further weaken into a depression as it heads for Laos before crossing over to Thailand first hitting Khong Chiam district, Ubon Ratchathani, this afternoon. After that it will dwindle to a strong low-pressure cell.
As a result of Kalmaegi’s influence, upper Thailand will be lashed with heavy to very heavy rain in some areas from today till Sunday starting with the Northeast then spreading to the East, Central, and Northern regions, respectively. Residents are alerted to beware of torrential rain which could trigger flash floods, mudslides and rivers overflowing their banks. Farmers should brace for the possibility of their crops being damaged.
Strong storms will likely rage in the Andaman Sea with waves being two to three metres high and over three metres amidst thunderstorms. Sailors should exercise caution and avoid setting forth to sea in areas where there is a thunderstorm while small boats should remain ashore till Sunday.
The public is advised to closely monitor the weather bureau’s announcements.
Meanwhile hundreds of flights were cancelled in Vietnam with people ordered to stay indoors after Kalmaegi lashed the country.
Packing winds of up to 149kmh, according to the national weather forecaster – Kalmaegi blew roofs off houses and downed trees and telegraph poles. It whipped up waves as high as 10m as it hit the central region’s coast, the agency added.
Officials closed six airports, and the government said more than 260,000 people in Gia Lai province had been moved to safety. Kalmaegi is the 13th storm to hit Vietnam this year, and among the most powerful.
The government said it had placed more than 268,000 soldiers on standby for search and rescue operations. It warned of floods in low-lying areas and impacts on agriculture, including in the Central Highlands, the main coffee-growing region.
Farmers fear for crops
As the storm approached, hotels and homes along Cua Dai beach near the ancient UNESCO-listed town of Hoi An were shuttered.
Near the coastal city of Hue, farmers were still recovering from floods this week that killed 47 people.
Rice farmer Nguyen Van Rin, 42, said the last floods had drowned his livestock and poultry.
“Kalmaegi will flood us for the fourth time, and I am afraid it will be quite bad,” he said after guiding his boat across a road as vehicles moved slowly through the water.
CAPTIONS:
Top – People clean up their houses in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Mandaue City, Cebu province on Nov. 5, 2025. Photo: AFP/Jam Sta Rosa and published by CNA
First insert – Satellite image of Typhoon Kalmaegi moving across Vietnam and Cambodia. Credit – Weather Underground
Second insert – A worker cleans broken glass at a hotel close to Quy Nhon beach as Typhoon Kalmaegi makes landfall in Gia Lai province in central Vietnam on Nov. 6, 2025. Photo: AFP/Nhac Nguyen and published by CNA
Front Page – A motorcyclist travels through a flooded street in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi in Mandaue City, Cebu on Nov. 5, 2025. Photo: AFP/Jam Sta Rosa and published by CNA
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