Tropical Storm Sonca was a weak but damaging tropical storm that impacted Vietnam in mid-October 2022. The thirtieth tropical depression, and nineteenth tropical storm of the

2022 Pacific typhoon season The 2022 Pacific typhoon season was the third consecutive season to have below-average tropical cyclone activity, with twenty-five named storms, although it was more active than the previous seasons by named storm count. Ten became typhoons, a ...

, Sonca developed from a scattered area of convection within a broad low-level center. As it became slightly organized, the

Japan Meteorological Agency The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...

(JMA) classified the system as a depression on October 13, while the

Joint Typhoon Warning Center The Joint typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) is a joint United States Navy – United States Air Force command in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The JTWC is responsible for the issuing of tropical cyclone warnings in the North-West Pacific Ocean, South P ...

(JTWC) followed suit the next day, naming the system 22W. Not long after, the system intensified into a tropical storm, receiving the name Sonca by the JMA. It soon made landfall on

Da Nang Nang or DanangSee also Danang Dragons ( ; vi, Đà Nẵng, ) is a class-1 municipality and the fifth-largest city in Vietnam by municipal population. It lies on the coast of the East Sea of Vietnam at the mouth of the Hàn River, and is one ...

, Vietnam. Sonca rapidly weakened over land, and the JTWC and JMA both issued their final advisories on Sonca. Sonca, despite being weak caused heavy damage throughout central Vietnam, bringing 700 mm (28 in) of rainfall resulting in major flooding. Overall, Sonca was blamed for 12 fatalities, and damages inflicted costed 2.4 trillion VND (US$101.5 million.) __TOC__

Meteorological history

Late on October 11, the JTWC began monitoring a scattered area of moderate convection within a broad low-level center 280 km (170 mi) west-southwest of

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populate ...

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Within a marginally favorable environment of no distinct outflow established, low to moderate wind shear, and warm sea surface temperatures, the system slightly organized by the next day, with flaring convection and its center remaining exposed. Nonetheless, the JMA upgraded the system into a tropical depression on October 13. The JTWC later issued a TCFA on the system on the same day, noting fragmented deep convection was wrapping into its broad low-level center. By the next day, the JTWC initiated advisories on the storm, designating it as 22W. Moving westward, the storm intensified into a tropical storm six hours later, with the JMA naming it as Sonca. Sonca failed to intensify further as its center remained exposed, with deep convection displaced to the west due to strong wind shear, and it soon made landfall on

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...

late on the same day, prompting the JTWC to issue their final advisory on the system. The JMA followed suit by October 15, as Sonca weakened into a tropical depression.

Preparations and impact

As Sonca moved inland, it brought heavy rainfall to central Vietnam, with of rain fell in Da Nang during a 24-hour period on ; this resulted in major flooding throughout the region. The flooding killed a reported 10 people. Initial estimated economic losses in Da Nang City caused by Sonca's heavy precipitation are around 1.48 trillion VND (US$60.8 million). Infrastructure losses in Thừa Thiên Huế province reached 337 billion VND (US$13.5 million). 2 people were killed and 4 injured in the province. Overall, damages inflicted by Sonca were 2.4 trillion VND (US$101.5 million).

References

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