A stretch of road in Khe Tre Commune (Huế) has been covered by mud and debris from a landslide. — VNA/VNS Photo

HUẾ — Authorities in central Việt Nam are warning of flash floods and landslides across a wide stretch from Huế to Gia Lai after several hours of persistent rain early on Friday pushed soil conditions in many mountainous areas close to saturation.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said rainfall between 7.40am and 12.40pm ranged from 5 to 10mm in Huế, Đà Nẵng, Quảng Ngãi and Gia Lai, with pockets exceeding 15mm in Huế and Đà Nẵng and more than 30mm in parts of Quảng Ngãi and Gia Lai.

Dozens of communes in steep, river-cut terrain have been placed on heightened alert for flash floods and slope failures.

In Huế, at-risk areas include A Lưới 2 and Phong Điền, while Đà Nẵng officials warned of hazards in mountainous communes stretching from Hiệp Đức and Phước Hiệp to Trà Leng, Bà Nà and Khâm Đức.

Quảng Ngãi – which has a long history of deadly landslides – listed a broad swathe of vulnerable locations, from Ba Dinh and Ba Vinh to Sơn Hà, Sơn Kỳ, Sơn Linh and Trà Bồng.

Gia Lai also identified several communes, including Canh Liên, Canh Vinh and Kim Sơn, as facing elevated danger.

Forecasters have set the disaster-risk level for flash floods, landslides and rain-induced subsidence at the lowest tier, Level 1, but cautioned that even low-grade events can cause severe damage.

Data from the past 24 hours show the scale of the deluge: Phước Hiệp in Đà Nẵng recorded 116 mm, Long Môn in Quảng Ngãi saw 135 mm and Nghĩa Điền in Gia Lai measured 105mm.

Soil-moisture modelling indicates that many areas have already reached or are approaching full saturation, raising the likelihood of sudden slope failures if rain continues. — VNS