Southeast Asia Weather & Natural Hazards Today: Wednesday, October 28, 2026

Oct 28, 2026 · @Paul

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather

Flooding in Thailand, heavy rain along central Vietnam’s coast and a top-level rain warning for West Java are the main weather hazards across Southeast Asia on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. Transboundary haze (smoke from land and forest fires carried across borders) is easing in Malaysia and Singapore, but Singapore’s forecasters say shifting winds could bring smoke back on Thursday and Friday.

No tropical cyclone currently threatens Southeast Asia. Typhoon In-fa is far out in the western Pacific near the Marshall Islands, and Very Severe Cyclonic Storm Arnab is moving toward India’s east coast in the Bay of Bengal. This report is current to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday in Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta (UTC+7), 7:00 a.m. in Manila, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (UTC+8), and 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 27, US Eastern time.

Key facts

Tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclone or low is forecast to reach Southeast Asia in the next few days. Wind speeds below are sustained winds; JMA uses 10-minute averages and JTWC 1-minute averages, so their figures are not directly comparable.

Myanmar’s Department of Meteorology and Hydrology placed Arnab about 1,037 km west-northwest of Myanmar’s Coco Island at 12:30 p.m. Myanmar time (UTC+6:30) on Tuesday.

Floods and heavy rain

Thailand

Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) said that as of 6:00 a.m. on October 27, floods had affected 978,112 people in 327,004 households across 20 provinces and the Bangkok districts of Lat Krabang and Nong Chok. Director-general Nirat Pongsitthithaworn blamed “prolonged heavy to very heavy rainfall” and water flowing down from the north, and the department said water was receding in most areas. Bangkok had 168,203 affected households and four deaths; the hardest-hit province by deaths was Prachin Buri, with 26. The deaths listed by province in the DDPM breakdown add up to 66; the department did not publish a national total.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) warning No. 9, issued at 5:00 p.m. on October 27 and valid until October 28, forecasts heavy to very heavy rain in the South, with risks of flash floods and runoff near waterways. Waves may exceed 2 metres in the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand during thunderstorms. Separately, DDPM has put Bangkok and six central provinces (Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi, Nakhon Pathom, Samut Sakhon, Samut Songkhram and Samut Prakan) on tidal flood alert until November 5, with high tides between 6:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. that may overflow riverbanks.

Vietnam

Vietnam’s National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) forecast 60–120 mm of rain between Ha Tinh and Danang from October 27 to 29, with some places exceeding 250 mm and bursts of more than 100 mm in three hours. Showers and thunderstorms were also forecast from Thanh Hoa to Hue through October 28, locally above 80 mm. The centre warned of flooding in low-lying and urban areas, flash floods on small rivers and landslides in the mountains. The same coast was flooded earlier this month, when AP reported more than 800 mm of rain in three days in Hue (October 7–9).

Indonesia

Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) put West Java at “Awas”, its highest early-warning level, for very heavy to extreme rain on October 28. North Sumatra, South Sumatra, Central Java and Yogyakarta are at “Siaga” (alert) for heavy to very heavy rain. BMKG warned of floods, flash floods, landslides and overflowing rivers and advised residents to avoid disaster-prone areas during heavy rain.

Country-by-country weather today

Earthquakes

The five largest earthquakes of magnitude 4.4 or more recorded by the US Geological Survey (USGS) in the region over the past 48 hours were all moderate, newest first. Locations are as USGS describes them.

Tsunami status: USGS flagged none of these events as having tsunami potential, and only the magnitude 5.4 quake carried a PAGER impact alert, at green (the lowest level).

Volcanoes

Philippine alert levels are set by PHIVOLCS on a 0–5 scale; Indonesian levels are set by PVMBG, the national volcanology centre, where Level II is Waspada (caution) and Level III is Siaga (alert).

Haze, fires and air quality

The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) lists Alert Level 3 for the southern ASEAN region. Its latest assessment reports scattered hotspots in eastern Kalimantan, smoke plumes from East Kalimantan, and “Unhealthy to Hazardous” readings at several stations in Borneo and Sumatra, though inter-monsoon showers toward the end of October could start to ease the situation. In Singapore, the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) ranged from 63 to 73 on Tuesday evening, and the National Environment Agency forecast 60–90 (moderate) for Wednesday, warning that east-southeast or south-southeast winds on Thursday and Friday “could transport smoke haze from southern Sumatra.” In Malaysia, Samalaju in Sarawak was the only station in the unhealthy range on Tuesday, with an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 152 at 9:00 a.m., falling to 110 by 4:00 p.m. local time; Sarawak’s Natural Resources and Environment Board reported readings of 33 to 91 at its other stations at 4:00 p.m.

What to watch over the next few days

• Southern Thailand: TMD’s heavy rain warning runs through Wednesday; ten southern provinces, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Songkhla and Phuket, were named for heavy rain on October 28.
• Bangkok tides: the tidal flood alert for Bangkok and six nearby provinces remains in force until November 5.
• Central Vietnam: the NCHMF rain spell between Ha Tinh and Danang is forecast to last until October 29.
• Haze in Singapore: NEA expects less favourable winds on Thursday and Friday that could bring smoke from southern Sumatra.
• Typhoon In-fa: JMA forecasts it to strengthen and track west-northwest toward the Ogasawara Islands area by October 31, with its forecast track staying near or east of 140°E longitude through November 1.

About this article

This article summarises official bulletins and news reports from national weather, disaster and volcano agencies across Southeast Asia, together with international sources such as JMA, JTWC, USGS and ASMC. It is not an official warning: readers in affected areas should follow their national agency and local authorities. Wind speeds were converted from knots (1 knot = 1.852 km/h) and distances from nautical miles (1 nautical mile = 1.852 km) and rounded. Figures change quickly, and each is given with the agency and time of its source; some bulletins were issued a day or more before this report.

Frequently asked questions

Is a typhoon heading for the Philippines or Vietnam? No. Typhoon In-fa is near the Marshall Islands, and JMA’s five-day track takes it toward the Mariana and Ogasawara Islands. Cyclone Arnab in the Bay of Bengal is moving toward India.

Is it safe to travel to Bangkok? DDPM says floodwater is receding in most areas, but two eastern Bangkok districts remain affected and a tidal flood alert runs until November 5. Travellers should check DDPM and TMD updates; DDPM’s 24-hour hotline is 1784 and TMD’s is 1182.

What do Indonesia’s “Awas”, “Siaga” and “Waspada” rain warnings mean? They are BMKG’s three early-warning levels for rain. “Awas” is the highest and signals very heavy to extreme rain, “Siaga” heavy to very heavy rain, and “Waspada” moderate to heavy rain.

Is the haze over? Not yet. Air quality has improved in Malaysia and Singapore, but ASMC still reports unhealthy to hazardous readings in parts of Borneo and Sumatra, and Singapore’s forecasters say winds could bring smoke back later this week.

Sources

• JMA tropical cyclone data: In-fa (TC2637) specifications
• JMA active tropical cyclone list
• JTWC Significant Tropical Weather Advisory, Indian Ocean
• JTWC Significant Tropical Weather Advisory, Western Pacific
• Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology: cyclone Arnab update
• The Nation: Thai floods affect 978,000 as waters recede
• The Nation: Heavy rain in southern Thailand prompts flash flood warning
• The Nation: Bangkok, six provinces on tidal flood alert until Nov 5
• The Nation: TMD forecasts torrential rain on October 27
• DTiNews: Heavy rain forecast in central Vietnam through October 29
• Mongabay/AP: Vietnam mobilizes troops after heavy rains
• Metro TV News: BMKG forecast for October 28
• Daily Tribune: PAGASA declares start of Amihan season
• Manila Times: PAGASA may declare amihan season in next days
• USGS earthquake catalogue query
• Okezone: Semeru erupts five times
• Beritasatu: Anak Krakatau at Siaga Level III
• RCTI+/Okezone: Mount Ibu erupts
• IDX Channel: Lewotobi Laki-laki lowered to Waspada
• Daily Tribune: Kanlaon erupts, sends ash plume 6 km high
• GMA News: Kanlaon ash emissions on October 11
• Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program: Mayon
• Daily Tribune: Taal logs minor eruption
• ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre
• AsiaOne: Singapore’s 24-hour PSI forecast moderate
• Malay Mail: Only Samalaju in Sarawak still unhealthy
• Borneo Post: Samalaju remains Sarawak’s only unhealthy API location