Geography

Đà Nẵng cityscape

Đà Nẵng is the largest city in central Vietnam and one of the country's most important ports. Ringed by mountains on one side and the South China Sea on the other, Đà Nẵng borders Thừa Thiên-Huế Province across the Hải Vân Pass to the north, Quảng Nam Province to the south and west, and the ocean to the east. It is 759 km (472 mi) south of Hanoi, and 960 km (600 mi) north of Hồ Chí Minh City.

Geology and topography

Geologically, Đà Nẵng is situated at the edge of a Paleozoic fold belt known as the Truong Son Orogenic Zone, whose main deformation occurred during the early Carboniferous period. Đà Nẵng's topography is dominated by the steep Annamite mountain range to the north and northwest, featuring peaks ranging from 700 to 1,500 metres (2,300 to 4,900 ft) in height, and low-lying coastal plains with some salting to the south and east, with several white sand beaches along the coast.

Climate

Đà Nẵng has a tropical monsoon climate with two seasons: a typhoon & wet season lasting from September through March and a dry season lasting from April through August. Temperatures are typically high, with an annual average of 25.9 °C (78.6 °F). Temperatures are highest between June and August (averaging 33 to 34 °C (91 to 93 °F)), and lowest between December and February (averaging 18 to 19 °C (64 to 66 °F)). Cold, wet and windy in winter, bringing even lower temperatures in December and January. The annual average for humidity is 80.6%, with highs between October and December (reaching 84%) and lows between June and July (reaching 74–75%).

On average, Đà Nẵng receives 2,505 mm (98.6 in) of rainfall. Rainfall is typically highest between October and November (ranging from 550 to 1,000 mm (22 to 39 in)) and lowest between January and April (ranging from 23 to 40 mm (0.91 to 1.6 in)). Đà Nẵng receives an average of 2156 hours of sunlight annually, with highs between 234 and 277 hours per month in May and June and lows between 69 and 165 hours per month in November and December.

Climate data for Da Nang Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 32 (90) 35 (95) 37 (99) 41 (106) 39 (102) 38 (100) 38 (100) 38 (100) 37 (99) 36 (97) 35 (95) 32 (90) 41 (106) Average high °C (°F) 24.8 (76.6) 26.1 (79) 28.7 (83.7) 31.0 (87.8) 33.4 (92.1) 33.9 (93) 34.3 (93.7) 33.9 (93) 31.5 (88.7) 29.6 (85.3) 27.0 (80.6) 24.9 (76.8) 29.93 (85.86) Daily mean °C (°F) 21.7 (71.1) 23.0 (73.4) 25.1 (77.2) 27.2 (81) 29.2 (84.6) 29.7 (85.5) 29.8 (85.6) 29.7 (85.5) 27.8 (82) 26.4 (79.5) 24.3 (75.7) 22.1 (71.8) 26.33 (79.41) Average low °C (°F) 18.5 (65.3) 19.8 (67.6) 21.5 (70.7) 23.3 (73.9) 24.9 (76.8) 25.5 (77.9) 25.3 (77.5) 25.5 (77.9) 24.1 (75.4) 23.2 (73.8) 21.6 (70.9) 19.3 (66.7) 22.71 (72.87) Record low °C (°F) 8 (46) 7 (45) 11 (52) 7 (45) 18 (64) 20 (68) 17 (63) 21 (70) 21 (70) 12 (54) 7 (45) 11 (52) 7 (45) Precipitation mm (inches) 96.2 (3.787) 33.0 (1.299) 22.4 (0.882) 26.9 (1.059) 62.6 (2.465) 87.1 (3.429) 85.6 (3.37) 103.0 (4.055) 349.7 (13.768) 612.8 (24.126) 366.2 (14.417) 199.0 (7.835) 2,044.5 (80.492) Avg. precipitation days 13.7 6.9 4.8 5.6 8.9 8.0 8.6 11.4 15.4 21.2 20.9 18.6 144  % humidity 83 83 83 82 78 75 74 76 81 84 84 84 80.6 Mean monthly sunshine hours 136.4 144.1 105.4 207.0 257.3 237.0 257.3 207.7 174.0 145.7 120.0 116.6 2,108.5 Source #1: World Meteorological Organisation (UN) Source #2: Weatherbase (record highs, lows, and humidity) Natural disasters Widespread flooding in Đà Nẵng in the wake of Typhoon Ketsana.

Đà Nẵng is susceptible to damage from typhoons that cross into the South China Sea. In 2006, the landfall of Typhoon Xangsane near the city of Huế caused 26 deaths in Đà Nẵng, damaging and destroying homes, downing trees and power lines and flooding major streets.

Authorities in Đà Nẵng estimated the damage caused by Xangsane at around US$ 200 million, with more than 5,000 houses washed away, 166,000 homes damaged and 19 boats sunk. Three years later, Typhoon Ketsana made its landfall about 37 miles (60 km) south of Đà Nẵng, again causing widespread flooding. Ketsana left eight people dead and 96 injured in Đà Nẵng, and caused an estimated VND 495 billion (US$25 million) in damage.

Shortly after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake, which triggered a powerful tsunami, the People's Committee of Đà Nẵng approved the installation of 10 early tsunami warning stations throughout the city, the first of their kind in Vietnam. Officials expected the stations would provide at least thirty minutes of warning in case of a tsunami. According to Le Huy Minh, Director of the Earthquake and Tsunami Warning Centre at the Vietnam Institute of Geophysics, a powerful earthquake (≥8 MW) in the waters north of the Philippines could pose a significant danger to the Vietnamese coastline, particularly the area around Đà Nẵng.