On the night of July 4, Storm Maysak moved into the Mong Cai area of Quang Ninh Province, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Several roads across the former Mong Cai City area were strewn with fallen trees, while corrugated iron roofs were ripped off and blown into the streets. Some roads were deeply flooded, disrupting travel for residents.
By 11pm, rain in Mong Cai 1 Ward had eased and winds had weakened. However, after prolonged heavy rain earlier, many streets remained locally flooded. Numerous trees were uprooted or snapped, while some areas suffered localised power cuts, affecting daily life.
Overnight, emergency services and local authorities moved to deal with the aftermath. Crews cut and cleared fallen trees, directed traffic and inspected and dealt with flooded areas to ensure the safety of residents and vehicles.
Local authorities urged residents to avoid going out unless absolutely necessary and not to pass through areas with leaning or fallen trees, tilted electricity poles or deep flooding.
Streets in Mong Cai as Storm Maysak swept through the area (Photo: D.X.).
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, from early afternoon on July 4 the storm's circulation directly affected the north-eastern region, bringing strong winds to coastal areas. At 1.30 pm, the Cua Ong meteorological station recorded force 8 winds, gusting to force 9.
At about 7 pm, the storm approached the Quang Ninh coast and maintained its impact for more than two hours before making landfall in the Mong Cai area at around 10 pm the same day.
By about 2 am on July 5, the storm's centre had moved to the southern part of Guangxi Province in China.
Under the influence of the storm's circulation, strong winds were recorded in many parts of Quang Ninh and the northern Gulf of Tonkin. Mong Cai recorded force 9 winds, gusting to force 12; Bach Long Vi force 9, gusting to force 11; Co To force 8, gusting to force 10, with waves 2.25 metres high; while Cua Ong and Quang Ha both recorded force 8 winds, gusting to force 9.
Alongside the strong winds, Quang Ninh saw heavy to very heavy rain from the afternoon of July 4 to the morning of July 5. Mong Cai alone recorded rainfall of 247.6mm.
By 5 am on July 5, the storm's centre was in southern Guangxi Province, about 63km north of Mong Cai. It was packing force 8 winds, gusting to force 10, and moving north north-east at 5-10km/h.
Although the storm's centre had moved out of Vietnam, its circulation was still bringing force 6-7 winds, gusting to force 8, to north-eastern Quang Ninh. Over the following 6-12 hours, the storm was forecast to continue moving north north-east at 10-15km/h and gradually weaken into a tropical depression and then a low-pressure area.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, Maysak was the first storm to form in the East Sea in 2026. It was not especially intense, reaching a peak of force 9 with gusts to force 11, but it moved slowly and affected the area for a relatively long period. As it neared the coast, it lingered over coastal waters off Quang Ninh before making landfall, causing strong winds to persist for hours in Mong Cai and the north-eastern coastal area.
During the morning and midday of July 5, the northern Gulf of Tonkin, including the special zone of Bach Long Vi, Van Don, Co To and Cat Hai, was expected to continue seeing force 6-7 winds, gusting to force 9-10, with waves 2-3 metres high and very rough seas. Coastal Quang Ninh was expected to maintain force 6-7 winds, gusting to force 8, before easing after 10 am.
As for rainfall, from early morning until the end of July 5, convective clouds on the southern side of the storm's circulation were expected to continue bringing heavy rain. Northern Vietnam was forecast to see moderate to heavy rain, with rainfall totals of 40-90mm and isolated areas receiving more than 120mm. The north-eastern region in particular was forecast to see heavy to very heavy rain, with totals of 100-200mm and some places exceeding 300mm.
The meteorological agency warned that although the storm had moved into China and weakened, its circulation could still cause flooding in urban areas, industrial parks and low-lying areas, as well as river rises, flash floods and landslides in mountainous areas, particularly in north-eastern provinces. Residents were urged to continue monitoring forecast bulletins and not let their guard down until the rain and wind had fully subsided.