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storm stops

Halong Bay cruise suspensions: the storm stop log

Halong Bay cruise suspensions for storms are ordered by the Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority. A stop runs from its notice until Vietnam's weather service issues the final bulletin on the storm. The log below holds the 8 stops the Ha Long Bay Management Board has posted, September 2024 to August 2026, from Typhoon Yagi on. Where the start hour and the end are both posted, a stop lasted 30 to 103 hours. The log holds only board notices: same-day squall holds are not in it.

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the log

The Halong Bay storm stop log

Each row is one storm or tropical depression that stopped Halong Bay cruises, with the hour the stop began, when boats could sail again and the notice behind it. Filter by year, or link straight to a row.

Stops posted per year
YearStops in the logWith a posted start hour and endHours stopped, those stops
202410not posted
20255274 hours
202622148 hours

Showing every stop in the log.

Halong Bay storm stops, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management BoardLocal time (UTC+7). Start from the notice; end from the national final storm bulletin when the notice ties its end to it, or from a reopening notice. Log read on 14 November 2026.
StormStopped fromOpen againLengthWhat stoppedOrdered bySources
2024Storm Yagi (No. 3) not posted 20 September 2024last routes reopened (not Trong Cave or Cua Van); first routes 13 September 2024 not posted Every route closed after landfall Ha Long Bay Management Board (reopening notice)
2025Storm Wutip (No. 1) 18:00 on 13 June 2025 not postedthe notice gave no end not posted Overnight cruises; every boat back with its guests by the start time Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority618/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT of 13/6/2025
Storm Wipha (No. 3) 20 July 2025 not postedthe notice gave no end not posted All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority750/CV&ĐKT-ATQLKCHT of 19/7/2025
Tropical depression 13:00 on 18 August 2025 not postedthe notice gave no end not posted All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority
Storm Bualoi (No. 10) 18:00 on 27 September 2025 14:00 on 29 September 2025final national bulletin 44 hours All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority
Storm Matmo (No. 11) 8:00 on 5 October 2025 14:00 on 6 October 2025final national bulletin 30 hours All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment with the Inland Waterway Port Authority
2026Storm No. 1 17:00 on 3 July 2026 14:00 on 5 July 2026final national bulletin 45 hours All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment with the Inland Waterway Port Authority
Tropical depression 7:00 on 22 August 2026 14:00 on 26 August 2026final national bulletin 103 hours All tourist and overnight boat departures Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority266/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT of 21/8/2026

The log holds only what the Ha Long Bay Management Board posted: storm and tropical depression stops on Halong Bay. Same-day squall holds, reopening times after 2024 and Lan Ha Bay stops ordered in Hai Phong are not in it. The whole log is a file: suspensions.json.

the port authority

Who orders a stop, and who ends it

Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay

Every tourist boat needs a departure permit, issued under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024 (in force since 20 October 2024) by the inland waterway port authority (Cảng vụ). A storm stop is that authority refusing permits: the Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority acts on the direction of the provincial disaster steering committee or a notice from the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment, and the Ha Long Bay Management Board posts the notice.

The rules name no wind speed or visibility limit. The stated trigger is weather not safe to continue the journey, and the notices run until the final bulletin on the storm or tropical depression. Out on the water, the captain tells passengers and moves the boat to shelter when the weather turns, and the port authority says where to shelter.

Lan Ha Bay and the Cat Ba bays

Hai Phong runs the Cat Ba bays under its own rules. Decision 253/2025, which replaced the 2020 rules on 12 January 2026, says tourist boats may not leave port when it is unsafe or when there is a dangerous weather warning. When the port authority, traffic police, border guard or the Cat Ba Bays Management Board order boats back to a safe anchorage, the captain must comply. Under the 2020 rules, permits were refused when the Northeast regional hydro-meteorological forecasting centre reports dangerous weather or wind exceeds the boat's class.

Quang Ninh and Hai Phong signed a joint regulation on tourist boats crossing between Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay on 26 March 2026. Hai Phong stop notices are not collected in this log yet, so it says nothing about how often Lan Ha Bay stops. See safety on the bays for the other rules boats keep.

the final bulletin

How long a stop lasts: notice to final bulletin

The end of a Halong Bay stop is tied to Vietnam's storm bulletins, set by Prime Minister Decision 18/2021. The national hydro-meteorological service issues an emergency storm bulletin when a storm may directly affect the mainland within 48 hours. While it is in force, main bulletins come every three hours, 8 bulletins per day. The stop ends with the final bulletin (tin cuối cùng về bão), issued when the storm weakens to a low, leaves Vietnam's direct-impact zone or leaves the East Sea. A storm with wind of level 8 to 9 at sea is disaster risk level 3.

So a stop has no fixed length. In the log, the stops with a posted start hour and end ran 30 to 103 hours: Storm Matmo in October 2025 stopped boats for 30 hours, while the depression of August 2026 kept them in port for 103 hours. Each bulletin is published as a dated PDF on the service's site, which is what the log's end times point to.

Halong Bay in mist or fog
Two tour boats on flat water with karst islands fading into winter haze.Photo: [email protected] / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

the 2024 typhoon

Typhoon Yagi, September 2024

Typhoon Yagi, Storm No. 3 of 2024, made landfall in the Quang Ninh to Hai Phong area around noon on 7 September 2024, as recorded by Vietnam's disaster management center. The Bai Chay station in Halong City measured gusts of level 17 on the Vietnamese scale. Thanh Tra newspaper, citing the Quang Ninh Department of Transport, put the damage at 27 tourist boats sunk, most of them at Tuan Chau port, plus transfer boats.

The board posted no stop notice before landfall, so the log shows the start as not posted. It reopened routes VHL1, VHL2 and VHL5 on 13 September 2024 and the remaining Halong Bay routes, except Trong Cave and Cua Van floating village, on 20 September 2024. Yagi is the outlier in the log, not the pattern.

the storm months

How often to expect a stop

The log is short, so for odds by month this guide uses the storm tracks of 1991 to 2025 instead. Each bar below is the chance that a stop overlaps a cruise with one night on board starting in that month: the dark core counts storms whose track passed within 150 km of the bay, the pale column those within 350 km.

  1. Jannone recorded in 1991 to 2025
  2. Febnone recorded in 1991 to 2025
  3. Marnone recorded in 1991 to 2025
  4. Aprunder 1%
  5. Maynone recorded in 1991 to 2025
  6. Jun1% to 3%
  7. Jul6% to 8%
  8. Aug4% to 8%
  9. Sep4% to 8%
  10. Oct2% to 5%
  11. Nov0.6% to 1.4%
  12. Decnone recorded in 1991 to 2025

Storm and tropical depression tracks from NOAA's IBTrACS archive, 1991 to 2025. A model of the odds, not a forecast. The best time to visit page gives them for every length of cruise; the Halong Bay weather page has rain, fog and temperature by month.

The log fits the tracks: every posted stop fell between June and October. In 2025 the board posted 5 stops, from Storm Wutip in June to Typhoon Matmo in October.

limits

What the log cannot show

Squall holds. Since mid-2026 a warning service run with the Northern Region Hydro-Meteorological Station splits Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay into nine zones and warns of thunderstorms, squalls and lightning minutes ahead, at https://halong.navy01.com/. These holds are not posted, so they are not in the log.

Reopenings. The board posted 7 notices of stops between June 2025 and November 2026 and one reopening notice, after Yagi. Where a notice ties its end to the final bulletin, the log takes the bulletin's time; where it does not, the end reads not posted.

Stops the board did not post. The log is a floor: a storm that passed close without a posted notice is not in it. Lan Ha Bay. Hai Phong's notices are not collected yet.

what happens next

If a stop falls on your cruise

If a stop is ordered while you are on board, the captain brings the boat back or to shelter as the port authority directs. If it is ordered before you sail, the boat does not get a permit to leave. What happens to your money is set by the operator or the booking site, in the terms you accepted; each sets its own, and they differ. Read those terms before you book in the storm months, and see storm cancellations for how each booking site handles a canceled cruise.

data

Use the log

The full log is one JSON file at /data/suspensions.json: each stop with its start, end, the rule that set the end, the routes, the issuing body and document, the source links and the matching IBTrACS track. New stops are added as the board posts them. Other files behind this guide, such as the storm counts and station weather, are on the data page.

questions

Questions about storm stops

Do typhoons cancel Halong Bay cruises?

Yes. When a storm or tropical depression is forecast, the Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority stops departure permits and boats stay in port or return. The Ha Long Bay Management Board posted 5 such stops in 2025, all between June and October. The log on this page lists each posted stop with its dates and source.

How long does a Halong Bay storm suspension last?

Until the final national storm bulletin, so there is no fixed length. In the log, stops with a posted start hour and end lasted 30 to 103 hours. Typhoon Yagi in 2024 was longer: the board reopened the last Halong Bay routes only on 20 September 2024, after landfall on 7 September 2024.

Who decides whether Halong Bay cruises sail?

The Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority issues each boat's departure permit for Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay and stops them for storms. On the water, the captain moves the boat to shelter when the weather turns. In Lan Ha Bay the Hai Phong port authority applies Decision 253/2025, and captains must obey its orders.

Is my money returned if a storm stops my cruise?

That depends on the operator or booking site, not on the authorities. A storm stop orders boats to stay in port; it says nothing about refunds. Each operator and booking site sets its own cancellation terms, and they differ. Read them before you book, especially for July to September, and see the storm cancellations page for how each site handles it.

Does the log cover Lan Ha Bay?

Not yet. Every stop in it is a Halong Bay notice posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board. Lan Ha Bay is run by Hai Phong, whose notices are not collected, so the log says nothing about how often Lan Ha Bay cruises stop. Under Decision 253/2025, boats there may not leave port under a dangerous weather warning.

Sources

  1. Under Hai Phong Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND, replaced on 12 January 2026 by Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (no departure when unsafe or under a dangerous weather warning: BRW-LANHA-006), the port authority refused departure permits for Cat Ba bay tourist boats when the Northeast regional hydro-meteorological forecasting center reports dangerous weather or wind exceeds the boat's class. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 26/2020/QĐ-UBND of 2 Oct 2020 (in force 15 Oct 2020), Regulation on tourism on the bays of the Cat Ba Archipelago, Annex II, 2 October 2020.
  2. Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays may not leave port when unsafe or when there is a dangerous weather warning. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
  3. Under Hai Phong Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND, when the port authority, traffic police, border guard or Cat Ba Bays Management Board order boats back to a safe anchorage in bad weather, the captain must comply. Hai Phong City People's Committee, Decision 253/2025/QĐ-UBND (31 Dec 2025), Regulation on tourism and tourist boats on the Cat Ba bays, full text as reproduced by thuvienphapluat.vn, 31 December 2025.
  4. Storm-track counts by month for the Gulf of Tonkin can be built from IBTrACS v04r01 (NOAA NCEI) Western Pacific best tracks; the saved subset covers 17-23N, 105-110E and holds a count of systems of 596 tropical systems. NOAA NCEI, International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) v04r01, WP basin CSV, file dated 2026-11-12, 12 November 2026.
  5. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, the current rules for tourist boats on Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, took effect on 20 October 2024. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND of 08/10/2024 (luatvietnam.vn copy of the official text), 8 October 2024.
  6. Under Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, each tourist boat's departure permit for Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay is issued by the inland waterway port authority (Cảng vụ). Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, Article 7(4), 8 October 2024.
  7. Quang Ninh Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND sets no numeric wind or visibility threshold; when weather is unsafe the captain moves the boat to shelter and the port authority tells boats where to shelter, so the stated trigger is weather not safe to continue the journey. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee, Decision 43/2024/QD-UBND, Article 7(5) and 7(6), 8 October 2024.
  8. Quang Ninh Provincial People's Committee and Hai Phong City People's Committee signed coordination regulation 1133/QCPH-UBND on tourist boats on Halong Bay and Lan Ha Bay, applied from 1 April 2026, signed on 26 March 2026. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, posts 616 and 620 (2026-04-01/02), 26 March 2026.
  9. Storm suspensions on Halong Bay stop departure permits; they are issued by the Quang Ninh inland waterway port authority (Cảng vụ Đường thủy và Đăng kiểm phương tiện thủy nội địa, under the provincial Department of Construction) on the direction of the provincial disaster steering committee, or come as a notice of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Environment to that authority (Matmo 2025, Storm No.1 2026); the body that stops the permits is Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, suspension notices 2025-2026 (posts 240, 268, 287, 292, 990, 1215), 3 July 2026.
  10. Quang Ninh storm suspension notices name no wind threshold; they run from a stated hour until the final official bulletin on the storm or tropical depression, in the wording until the final bulletin on the storm. Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority, document 266/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT of 21/8/2026, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 21 August 2026.
  11. For Storm Wutip the Quang Ninh port authority suspended overnight cruise permits on Halong Bay and ordered all tourist boats to return passengers to the mainland before 18:00 on 13 June 2025. Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority, dispatch 618/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT of 13/6/2025, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 13 June 2025.
  12. For Storm Wipha (Storm No.3 of 2025) the Quang Ninh port authority stopped granting departure permits to passenger boats (boats returning to the mainland to land passengers still allowed) from 20 July 2025. Quang Ninh Inland Waterways Port Authority notice, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board (posted 2025-07-20 10:26), 20 July 2025.
  13. For a tropical depression the Quang Ninh port authority suspended departure permits for tourist and overnight boats from 13:00 and required all passengers landed by 15:00 on 18 August 2025. Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Authority (Department of Construction) notice, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 18 August 2025.
  14. For Storm Bualoi (Storm No.10 of 2025) the Quang Ninh port authority suspended departure, marine tourism and overnight permits from 18:00 on 27 September 2025. Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority notice, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 27 September 2025.
  15. For Typhoon Matmo (Storm No.11 of 2025) all tourism and overnight permits on Halong Bay were suspended from 8:00 on 5 October 2025. Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment notice to the Inland Waterway Port Authority, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 5 October 2025.
  16. For Storm No.1 of 2026 Quang Ninh stopped all vessel departures from 17:00, required tourist boats to land guests by 17:00 and banned overnight and evening tours on Halong Bay from 3 July 2026. Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment notice and Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 3 July 2026.
  17. Quang Ninh port authority document 266/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT stopped departures of sightseeing and overnight boats on Halong Bay from 7:00 on 22 August 2026. Quang Ninh Inland Waterway Port Authority (Department of Construction), document 266/CVĐTNĐ-ATQLKCHT of 21/8/2026, as posted by the Ha Long Bay Management Board, 21 August 2026.
  18. The Ha Long Bay Management Board website published seven storm or tropical depression suspension notices between June 2025 and November 2026 and one reopening notice (after Typhoon Yagi, 2024); the count of suspension notices is 7 notices. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, full post index ids 1-1365 read 2026-11-14, 14 November 2026.
  19. Since mid-2026 a real-time thunderstorm, squall and lightning warning service for Halong Bay and Bai Tu Long Bay, run with the Northern Region Hydro-Meteorological Station, splits the bays into nine warning zones and gives warnings about 10 to 15 minutes ahead; its address is https://halong.navy01.com/. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, post 1013 'Cảnh báo sớm dông lốc trên biển' (2026-07-11), citing Quang Ninh Department of Agriculture and Environment, 11 July 2026.
  20. Under Prime Minister Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg, Vietnam's national hydro-meteorological service issues an emergency storm bulletin (tin bão khẩn cấp) when a storm may directly affect mainland Vietnam within 48 hours. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg of 22/4/2021, Article 9.3, 22 April 2021.
  21. Under Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg, during an emergency storm bulletin the national hydro-met service issues main bulletins every three hours, a count per day of 8 bulletins per day. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg, Article 13.2, 22 April 2021.
  22. Under Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg the final storm bulletin (tin cuối cùng), which ends Quang Ninh's boat suspensions, is issued when the storm weakens to a low, leaves Vietnam's direct-impact zone or leaves the East Sea; the bulletin type is tin cuối cùng về bão. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg, Article 9.6, 22 April 2021.
  23. Under Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg a storm of wind level 8 to 9 at sea or in coastal waters is disaster risk level 3 risk level. Prime Minister of Vietnam, Decision 18/2021/QD-TTg, Article 42.1, 22 April 2021.
  24. Typhoon Yagi (Storm No.3 of 2024) made landfall in the Quang Ninh to Hai Phong area around noon, as recorded by the Vietnam disaster management center, on 7 September 2024. Disaster Management Policy and Technology Center (VDDMA), disaster record 'Storm No. 3 - YAGI'.
  25. At Yagi's landfall the Bai Chay station (Ha Long City) measured sustained wind of Beaufort level 14 with gusts of level 17, as recorded by the Vietnam disaster management center; the gust level was 17 Beaufort level. Disaster Management Policy and Technology Center (VDDMA), disaster record 'Storm No. 3 - YAGI'.
  26. After Typhoon Yagi the Ha Long Bay Management Board reopened routes VHL1, VHL2 and VHL5 on 13 September 2024 and the remaining Halong Bay routes, except Trong Cave and Cua Van floating village, on 20 September 2024. Ha Long Bay Management Board website, post 'Các điểm tham quan trên vịnh Hạ Long đón khách trở lại từ ngày 20/9' (2024-09-19), 19 September 2024.
  27. Thanh Tra newspaper (16 Sep 2024), citing a Quang Ninh Department of Transport report, put the tourist boats sunk by Typhoon Yagi at 27 (23 at Tuan Chau port, 2 on Halong Bay, 2 at Ba Lan) plus 4 transfer boats; the tourist boat count was 27 tourist boats sunk. Thanh Tra newspaper, 'Bão Yagi hủy diệt ngành du lịch như thế nào', 16/9/2024, citing Quang Ninh Department of Transport, 16 September 2024.
  28. Storm odds and weather by month. Storm tracks: NOAA NCEI IBTrACS v04r01, seasons 1991 to 2025, systems within 150 km to 350 km of Halong Bay; a stop counted as 2 days from the board notice to the final national bulletin. Weather: NOAA Global Summary of the Day, Phu Lien (Hai Phong) and Bach Long Vi, 1996 to 2024; sea surface temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1, the grid cell south of Cat Ba Island, 1991 to 2020. Stop log: Ha Long Bay Management Board notices and the national final storm bulletins (data/suspensions.json).

Photographs

  1. Halong Bay in mist or fog. Photo: [email protected] / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0