The country of Vietnam experiences multiple tornadoes annually. Between 1993 and 2000, there were a total of 317 tornado occurrences in the country. Most of these tornadoes bring F1 intensities in the Fujita scale (F scale) but a very few documented tornadoes are able to reach F3 intensities. They typically form during monsoon-driven severe thunderstorms or typhoons. To date, studies that involve the country's tornado climatology are limited.
Climatology
A tornado, also known as vòi rồng or lốc xoáy in Vietnamese, is a violently rotating column of air that descends from the base of a thunderstorm onto the ground. They are usually accompanied by thunderstorms or brought by typhoons. Tornadoes are associated with strong atmospheric instability, a characteristic of the rainy season. Weather fronts often increase the formation of tornadoes, when warm, most air is pushed upwards and collide with the cold, dry air, which then cools and condenses into moisture that triggers the formation of thunderstorms.
The country has a tropical climate that is influenced by monsoons. It has two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. The transitional periods of these seasons are favorable for tornadoes as atmospheric circulation provides the necessary conditions for severe weather events to develop, with it being the months from April to May in the north and May to August in the south.
Tornadoes appear in almost every region in the country, with most tornadoes located in Southern Vietnam, followed by Northern Vietnam, and lastly Central Vietnam with the least amount of tornadoes reported. These tornadoes occur most frequently in May around the country. In the north and central regions, high concentrations of tornadic activity appear from March to May, with April being the most frequent. Meanwhile, tornadic activity in the southern regions span from June to August.
The country's meteorological agency, NCHMF, stated that it is difficult to forecast tornadoes with accuracy due to their small size and duration. Instead, they can only issue general warnings when conditions are favorable for tornado development. Unlike storms and typhoons which can be monitored through radar, tornadoes appear suddenly in small areas and can only be detected through direct observation.
Events
Pre-2000s +EventDateAreaTornado(s)CasualtiesNotesSourcesHồ Chí Minh tornado1 May 1904Chợ Lớn, Hồ Chí Minh City11 fatalityThe earliest known report of a tornado in Vietnam. The tornado toppled several train cars, collapsing dozens of thatched houses. It also carried a man up into the air before being fatally injured. Associated with a typhoon.Gia Lương district tornado10 June 1961Gia Lương, Bắc Ninh province1–Several buffalos were thrown tens of meters away. The tornado was at least 7 km (4.35 mi) long and 10–20 m (33–66 ft) wide. It also broke several large trees in the area.Diễn Hải tornado3 April 1983Hải Châu, Nghệ An province160 fatalities, several injuriesThis is the deadliest tornado event in recorded history of Vietnam. 60 fisherman were killed as this tornado moves over open seas, mostly from drowning after their fishing boat capsized. Survivors describe seeing people and boats "violently thrown up into the air before falling back". Many families were all killed, mostly men.Nghệ An tornado19 August 1985–1–A tornado lifted a train carriage off the tracks at a station, several concrete bridge supports collapsed.Hải Phòng tornado1985–1–A crane in the port area of Hải Phòng was collapsed by a tornado.1997 Central Vietnam tornado outbreak23 September 1997–14 fatalitiesAt least one tornado was confirmed in Central Vietnam, killing four people.
2000s +EventDateAreaTornado(s)CasualtiesNotesSourcesAn Biên tornado10 April 2000Thứ Ba, Kiên Giang province14 injuriesAt 03:00 pm local time, a brief tornado touchdown near the town of Thứ Ba, An Biên district, Kiên Giang, injuring 4. 100 buildings collapsed, a school and a hospital was also damaged.Đồng Tháp province tornadoes23 August 2000–21 fatality, 77 injuriesTwo tornadoes hit the southern part of the province, killing a 5-year-old girl and injuring 77 others.Phú Thọ and Hanoi tornadoes3 April 2002Tây Sơn, Phú Thọ province; Thanh Miếu, Hanoi252 injuries2 two highly destructive tornadoes were reported, the first in Tây Sơn, Phú Thọ province, damaging 8,400 homes (including hail and wind damaged homes), 2,000 hectares of rice fields were also a total loss. 50 injuries were reported with this tornado. Another tornado was also reported in Thanh Miếu, Hanoi, injuring 2 more while damaging 290 homes, downing 60 transmission towers.Vị Thủy tornado31 July 2005Vị Thủy, Cần Thơ province13 injuriesA brief tornado was reported at 11:00 local time. 8 homes collapsed, along 23 others damaged.Kỳ Anh tornado2 October 2006Sông Trì, Kỳ Tân, Hà Tĩnh province12 injuriesA rare early morning tornado damaged or destroyed over 100 homes, downing 2,2 km of 0,4 kV electrical transmission lines. 2 serious injuries were treated.Northeast and Red River Delta tornado outbreak19-21 November 2006Bãi Cháy, Hải Phòng; Hạ Long Bay, Quảng Ninh province; Lục Nam, Bắc Ninh province; Hoài Đức, Hà Nội; Chợ Đồn, Thái Nguyên province4At least 19 fatalities, 4 missing, 50+ injuriesA extremely rare, unusual severe weather and tornado outbreak occurred across much of northern Vietnam, starting on November 19, when brief tornado in Lục Nam, Bắc Ninh province killed a child after a wall collapsed onto him. The next day saw multiple hailstorms across Phú Thọ province, Hanoi and several more province nearby, with two more tornadoes in Thái Nguyên and Phú Thọ provinces, killing another person. The 21st saw the deadliest tornado of the outbreak in the country history, as a rain-wrapped tornadic waterspout capsized a commercial cruise, killing 14 on board with 3 additional missing in Hạ Long Bay, Quảng Ninh. It then move onshore before collapsing 2 large containers crane, sweeping 1 into the bay at the Cái Lân port, killing another person, a worker who was in the crane at the time of the tornado. Many support trusses of the cranes were severely bent or completely snapped. Two more would be killed inland Hạ Long City after their house collapsed. A woman in Lan Hạ Bay, Hải Phòng province was also found deceased after her body washed ashore with her husband missing after their fishing boat capsized. The tornado also capsized 17 additional boats and ships, collapsing 150 booths at the 2006 Ha Long Trade Fair event in Hạ Long City. Over 200 homes were affected, over 50 injuries, 19 deaths and 4 missing were reported from the event as a whole.Long Hưng tornado5 June 2007Long Hưng, Tiên La, Lê Quý Đôn, Hưng Yên province11 fatality, 5 injuriesA long lived, destructive tornado impacted 3 districts, the worst in Long Hưng district where 1 man was killed. His body was found approximately 1 km away from the tornado after being thrown. 57 homes collapsed, along 19 garment factories unroofed, 2 km of power lines were also downed, crops damages was also reported.Thiệu Quang tornado9 June 2007Thiệu Quang, Thanh Hóa province13 injuries233 homes were damaged or destroyed, along several schools and businesses.Triệu Sơn tornado13 June 2007Triệu Sơn, An Nông, Thanh Hóa province12 fatalities, 2 injuriesNearly 500 homes were damaged and two people were killed by a falling tree when a tornado hit the district. It also toppled electric posts and thousands of trees.Tăng Nhơn Phú tornado20 October 2008Thủ Đức, Hồ Chí Minh City1NoneA brief tornado impacted the HCMC University of Technical Education Campus, affecting 25 dorm rooms, along many equipment.Phong Nha tornado24 March 2009Phong Nha, Quảng Trị province1None270 homes were damaged, along heavy damages to crops.Cái Mép Port tornado10 July 2009Tân Phước, Hồ Chí Minh City1NoneA photogenic hybrid tornado move through areas of the then constructing Cái Mép port. No damages nor injuries were reported.
2010s