Tropical Cyclone NARRA and Southwest Monsoon Affect Four Southeast Asian Countries, Killing at Least 10 and Displacing Thousands

The AHA Centre reported that Tropical Cyclone NARRA and the Southwest Monsoon have affected Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, killing at least 10 people and displacing thousands.

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Compounding storm and monsoon damage across four Southeast Asian countries signals mounting flood and landslide risks likely to strain regional disaster-response and infrastructure-recovery capacity through the season.

The AHA Centre's Flash Update No. 1, issued 23 August 2026, detailed the combined impact of Tropical Cyclone NARRA and the Southwest Monsoon on Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam. At 1000 HRS UTC+7, Vietnam's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting placed NARRA over the sea north of Bach Long Vi Special Economic Zone, roughly 135 km east of Quang Ninh and 140 km east of Hai Phong, with Level 8 sustained winds (62–88 km/h), central pressure of 993 hPa, and moving south at about 3 km/h. NCHMF forecast NARRA to intensify to Level 9 with gusts to Level 11 before tracking toward the eastern Bac Bo Gulf and making landfall over southwest Guangxi Province, China, by 26 August, then weakening into a low-pressure area. Rainfall exceeding 300 mm was forecast for Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Lang Son, Bac Ninh, Hung Yen, and Ninh Binh, alongside a separate monsoon trough over northern Thailand and northern Lao PDR and a strong Southwest Monsoon over the Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea, and Gulf of Thailand; three other tropical cyclones in the Western Pacific were being monitored but were not forecast to make landfall in the region.

In Lao PDR, cumulative flooding since 3 July, triggered by Tropical Storm MAYSAK and heavy rain, has affected 9 provinces, 54 districts, and 972 villages, with 187,734 people affected, 6 deaths, 1 injury, 7,528 evacuated, 10 houses destroyed and 990 damaged, and estimated losses of about USD 11 million. In Myanmar, overflow of the Thanlwin River displaced 99 households to relief centres, bringing total affected population in Ayeyarwady and Kayin regions to 65,827, with 2 deaths and about 15,000 displaced households. In Thailand, flooding from 18 to 23 August affected 79,509 people across 10 provinces and caused 3 deaths, with 6,152 people still affected in 4 provinces as of 23 August. In Viet Nam, NARRA and heavy rain caused 1 death from a landslide, damaged or destroyed 933 houses in Lang Son, flooded 2,864 hectares of crops across Lang Son, Bac Ninh, and Quang Ninh, killed livestock and poultry, and left 603 landslide and flooding points blocking roads. National disaster authorities in all four countries are conducting assessments and providing relief while meteorological agencies continue monitoring.