Southeast Asia Weather & Natural Hazards Today: Thursday, November 12, 2026

Nov 12, 2026 · @Paul

By Paul Harrison, Orbis Weather

Heavy rain is the main hazard across Southeast Asia on Thursday, 12 November. Central Vietnam is dealing with swollen rivers, landslides and evacuations after several days of downpours, southern Thailand is under a very heavy rain advisory, and Malaysia’s east coast and northern Sabah remain under a continuous rain warning. In Indonesia, the weather agency BMKG has flagged heavy rain for parts of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua, while three volcanoes stay at the second-highest alert level.

No tropical cyclone threatens the region. The only named system in the western Pacific, Cempaka, is far to the east of Japan and has lost its tropical character. This report is current to 7:30 a.m. Thursday in Bangkok, Hanoi and Jakarta (UTC+7), 8:30 a.m. in Manila, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (UTC+8), and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, 11 November, US Eastern time.

Key facts

Tropical cyclones

No tropical cyclone, depression or low threatens Southeast Asia. The US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) lists no other cyclone or disturbance in the western Pacific, South China Sea, Bay of Bengal or Andaman Sea.

Cempaka, known in the Philippines as Samuel, is outside the Philippine area of responsibility and moving away from the region.

Floods and heavy rain

Vietnam

Days of heavy rain have pushed rivers up across central Vietnam. On 10 November, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m., rainfall passed 280 mm in several places, including 320 mm at Tra Thanh (Quang Ngai), 288.2 mm at Bach Ma Peak (Hue) and 283.8 mm at Tra Leng (Danang), according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), as reported by Dan Tri. Dan Tri reported 545 mm in parts of Quang Ngai on 11 November.

At 1 a.m. on 11 November, the Tra Khuc River in Quang Ngai stood 0.25 m below alert level 2 (Vietnam’s three-step river warning scale); Dan Tri gave the reading as 4.7 m and SGGP as 4.75 m. Authorities in Ngoc Linh evacuated 115 households, nearly 400 people, after cracks appeared on a mountainside, and Gia Lai extended the evacuation of 68 households near Mot, Ba Hoa and Ganh mountains to 12 November. Landslides blocked roads in Danang, Quang Ngai and Quang Tri, and Nha Sam Pass in Gia Lai was closed. Three reservoirs in Khanh Hoa began releasing water on 11 November and will continue until 16 November. Dan Tri’s 11 November reports did not mention deaths or injuries.

The NCHMF expects the rain to ease gradually from 12 November. Forecasters cited by SGGP warned that northern Vietnam could see localised falls of 80–100 mm from 12 November.

Thailand

The Thai Meteorological Department’s advisory issued at 5 p.m. on 11 November warns of very heavy rain on 12 November in Chumphon, Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, and heavy rain in ten other southern provinces, from Songkhla and Narathiwat to Phuket, Krabi and Satun. On 13 November, very heavy rain is forecast for Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, with heavy rain spreading north to Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan. The department warned of flash floods near foothills, waterways and low-lying areas. Waves in the lower Gulf of Thailand are forecast at 2–3 m, above 3 m in thunderstorms, and small boats there should stay ashore, The Nation reported.

Malaysia

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has an alert-level (“waspada”) continuous rain warning in force until 12 November for seven districts of Kelantan, including Kota Bharu, Tumpat and Pasir Mas; four areas of Terengganu, including Kuala Terengganu and Besut; and Kudat, Pitas and Paitan in Sabah. Director-General Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said a monsoon surge, a burst of stronger northeasterly winds, could bring continuous heavy rain to the east coast of the peninsula and eastern Sabah, Media Selangor reported.

Country-by-country weather today

Earthquakes

The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded six earthquakes of magnitude 4.4 or greater in the region over the 48 hours to Wednesday evening, all in Indonesia. The five largest:

Tsunami status: the USGS did not flag tsunami potential for any of these events.

Volcanoes

Philippine levels are from PHIVOLCS bulletins dated 11 November (scale 0–5); Indonesian levels are from the volcanology agency PVMBG as of 6 a.m. WIB on 11 November (scale I–IV), as reported by CNBC Indonesia, CNN Indonesia and Tribunnews.

Climbing routes on all three Indonesian volcanoes at Level III are closed.

Haze, fires and air quality

There is no regional haze episode. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) lowered the southern ASEAN region to Alert Level 1 on 5 November and reports wet, cloudy weather over most of the region, with only a few hotspots (heat sources picked up by satellites, often fires) in Kalimantan, Sumatra, Thailand and Vietnam. ASMC noted moderate smoke haze over southern Papua and central Sulawesi and expects the southern haze situation to remain subdued, though it says northern ASEAN may see more hotspots towards the end of the year.

What to watch over the next few days

• Central Vietnam: whether rivers in Quang Ngai, Hue and Danang fall as the rain eases, and whether more landslides cut mountain roads; Khanh Hoa’s reservoir releases continue to 16 November.
• Southern Thailand: the heaviest rain is forecast for 12–13 November around Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat, with flash-flood risk near hills and rivers.
• Northern Vietnam and upper Thailand: the cold spell is expected to ease around 14 November in Vietnam, with warmer weather on 16–17 November, according to forecasters cited by SGGP.
• Malaysia: whether MetMalaysia extends its continuous rain warning beyond 12 November as the monsoon surge continues.
• Tropical cyclones: PAGASA’s monthly outlook, issued on 2 November, expects one or two tropical cyclones to enter or form in the Philippine area of responsibility during November, though none is being tracked now.

About this article

This report summarises official bulletins and news reports published up to the time stated in the lead. It is not an official warning: readers in affected areas should follow their national weather, disaster and volcano agencies. Wind speeds have been converted from knots to km/h and distances from nautical miles to km, and rounded. Where sources give different figures, each is attributed. Conditions can change quickly, and local warnings may be updated after publication.

Frequently asked questions

Is a typhoon heading for the Philippines or Vietnam? No. The only named storm in the western Pacific, Cempaka, is far east of Japan and has become an extratropical low. JTWC lists no other cyclone or developing disturbance in the region.

Why is central Vietnam flooding again? A cold air mass has pushed into central Vietnam during a spell of prolonged heavy rain that began around 8 November, according to forecasts reported by SGGP. Rivers rise quickly there, and saturated hillsides are prone to landslides.

What does a “Siaga” warning from BMKG mean? Indonesia’s weather agency uses three warning tiers: “Waspada” (be aware), “Siaga” (alert) and “Awas” (danger). “Siaga” signals heavy to very heavy rain that could cause floods or landslides, so residents should prepare.

Is haze a problem this week? Not across most of the region. ASMC reports few fire hotspots and wet weather, although smoke haze persists over parts of Papua and Sulawesi.

Sources

• JTWC Significant Tropical Weather Advisory, western Pacific
• JTWC Significant Tropical Weather Advisory, Indian Ocean
• Japan Meteorological Agency, Cempaka specifications
• GMA News: Cloudy skies, rains expected across PH due to northeast monsoon, easterlies (10 Nov)
• Head Topics/GMA: Northeast monsoon brings rainy skies, easterlies affect rest of PH on Thursday
• GMA News: PAGASA sees 1-2 tropical cyclones in PAR in November 2026
• Dan Tri: Heavy rain hits central Vietnam, reservoirs release water
• Dan Tri: Heavy rain in central Vietnam to ease from November 12
• SGGP: Southern rain to intensify as rising floodwaters force Central region evacuation
• SGGP: Prolonged rain triggers flood, landslide alerts in Central region
• SGGP: Cold air mass pushes deeper into central Vietnam
• The Nation: Cooler weather expected in upper Thailand with very heavy rain in South
• The Thaiger: Thailand weather today, 11 November
• Media Selangor: Amaran hujan berterusan di tiga negeri hingga esok
• Arina.id: BMKG peringatkan potensi hujan di 17 wilayah pada Kamis 12 November 2026
• Tribunnews: Peringatan dini hujan di Indonesia Kamis, 12 November 2026
• Tribunnews: Peringatan dini 6 ibu kota di Pulau Jawa
• USGS earthquake catalogue query
• PHIVOLCS volcano bulletins (WOVOdat)
• CNBC Indonesia: Tiga gunung api berstatus Siaga
• CNN Indonesia: 3 gunung api di Indonesia berstatus Siaga
• Tribunnews: Gunung Anak Krakatau, Merapi dan Semeru status Siaga
• Tribun Jogja: Laporan aktivitas Gunung Merapi, 11 November 2026
• ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre
• ASMC haze alerts