HANOI: The death toll from a week of flooding and record rains in central Vietnam rose to 40 on Tuesday (Nov 4), authorities said, as another powerful storm bore down on the battered region.Vietnam's central belt has been deluged by torrential rains,

Typhoon Kalmaegi has intensified as it is moving rapidly towards the central East Sea (aka South China Sea), bringing the risk of strong winds, heavy rain, and high waves to Vietnam’s Central region in the coming days,

The death toll from a week of flooding and record rains in central Vietnam rose to 40, authorities said, as another powerful storm bore down on the battered region.

The death toll from the most recent floods and landslides rose to 37 on Monday, with five people missing and 78 injured, officials said.

As Typhoon Kalmaegi is expected to enter the East Sea on the morning of November 5, with sustained winds of level 13-14 and gusts reaching level 17, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has ordered ministries,

Typhoon Kalmaegi is forecast to rapidly strengthen as it heads toward Vietnam's central coast, with winds potentially reaching up to 166 kph when it enters the East Sea on Wednesday, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Kalmaegi was a tropical storm in the Philippine Sea Sunday afternoon Philippine Time, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center said in its latest advisory. Flash flooding can occur well inland and away from the storm’s center. Even weaker storms can produce excessive rainfall that can flood low-lying areas.