Environment

A family in central Vietnam’s Ha Tinh province has handed over a 13kg Burmese python measuring more than 2 metres to authorities for care and eventual release into the wild.

A cold spell will bring scattered showers and a slight drop in temperatures in northern and central Vietnam this week.

Severe erosion along the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai Province has left a four-metre-high exposed riverbank, washing away farmland and threatening nearby homes and roads.

Ho Chi Minh City and southern Vietnam are forecast to see scattered showers and thunderstorms, with some areas facing heavy rain and localised flooding, particularly in the afternoon and evening.

Super typhoon Champi regained strength to force 16 on October 19, with gusts above force 17, and could intensify further as it heads towards Taiwan.

Residents along rivers and the coast in Hue face growing fears of erosion as the city enters its peak rainy and flood season in October and November, with more than 1,000 coastal households at risk.

A family in Haiphong has voluntarily handed over an Asiatic black bear kept in captivity since 2002, allowing it to receive professional care and rehabilitation.

A boulder estimated at nine cubic metres rolled down a hillside and smashed into a family’s kitchen in Son La during a magnitude 4.2 earthquake on October 19.

HCM City is considering installing flood warning sensors at road underpasses as authorities move to improve drainage systems and prevent flooding during heavy rain.

Gia Lai Province plans to relocate 48 businesses from an overcrowded industrial cluster amid pollution concerns, with VND 176 billion (USD 6.7 million) allocated for compensation.

Two earthquakes struck Son La within 25 minutes on October 19, with the stronger measuring magnitude 4.2 and causing homes and household items to shake.

Northern Vietnam is expected to see temperatures rise to 34-35 degrees Celsius on October 19 before scattered showers and thunderstorms arrive midweek.

Super typhoon Champi is forecast to track north-west towards Taiwan, China around October 23, with a low chance of entering the East Sea, according to Vietnam’s national weather agency.

Floodwaters have eroded more than a kilometre of the Tra Khuc River bank in Quang Ngai Province, destroying farmland and threatening dozens of homes and a road.

Authorities in Khanh Hoa Province are stepping up efforts to curb illegal wildlife trading and possession while receiving more wild animals voluntarily surrendered by residents.

Four earthquakes struck Mang But Commune in Quang Ngai Province within eight hours on October 18, with the strongest measuring magnitude 3.5.