Vietnam has evacuated hundreds of thousands and closed schools and airports as Typhoon Kajiki, its strongest storm so far this year, nears landfall. With winds up to 166 kilometers per hour Monday morning, the storm is expected to hit Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh provinces in the afternoon. Kajiki intensified from a tropical depression to a powerful typhoon in under two days. That's as fast as last year's Typhoon Yagi's, which killed 300 people. Nearly 600,000 residents are being moved from high-risk areas, and 16,500 soldiers are on standby. Scientists warn seas warmed by climate change are fueling faster, stronger storms.

Typhoon Usagi has swamped rural villages in floods, knocked down power and displaced thousands more people before blowing away from the northern Philippines, which has been pounded by five major storms in less than a month. Forecasters also say a new storm in the Pacific could strengthen into a powerful typhoon before hitting the Philippine archipelago on Sunday. Usagi was blowing toward southern Taiwan on Friday. There were no immediate reports of casualties from its passage over the Philippines.

Forecasters say Tropical Storm Rafael has formed in the Caribbean and will bring heavy rain to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands before strengthening to a hurricane and likely hitting Cuba. A tropical storm warning is in effect for Jamaica and a hurricane watch was in effect for the Cayman Islands and for parts of Cuba. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says that later in the week it also is expected to bring heavy rainfall to Florida and portions of the U.S. Southeast. The storm was expected to move near Jamaica by late Monday. The forecast shows the storm could become a hurricane on Tuesday en route to Cuba.

A small town in far eastern Cuba is recovering from flooding that killed at least six people after Hurricane Oscar crossed the island's eastern coast as a tropical storm with winds and heavy rain. Cuba's capital was partially illuminated Monday night after a massive blackout that has generated a handful of protests and a stern government warning that any unrest will be punished. President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on state television that rescue and recovery work continued in the town of San Antonio del Sur and officials have yet to enter some flooded areas. 'The country has completely halted,' says homemaker Mayde Quiñone. She cares for her mother-in-law, who is in her 80s. She says 'this hurts everyone, but the elderly most of all.'

Cuba's capital was largely paralyzed on Monday and the rest of the island was bracing for the fourth night of a massive blackout. That has generated both a handful of small protests and a stern government warning that any unrest will be punished. Hurricane Oscar was crossing the island's eastern coast with winds and heavy rain after a night that saw protests of several dozen people each in urban neighborhoods. The Cuban government has a low tolerance for civil disobedience and President Miguel Díaz-Canel warned on national television Sunday that 'we're not going to allow any vandalism, or let anyone disturb people's tranquility.'