Central region braces for typhoon

Source : National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

HA NOI (VNS)— Northern central provinces of Viet Nam will bear the brunt of the Son Tinh Typhoon tonight, which was forecast to be moving at the fastest speed recorded in a decade, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

An urgent meeting was held yesterday afternoon in Ha Noi with the attendance of high-ranking officials to prepare for the powerful typhoon, which is predicted to hit provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai called on vulnerable provinces to take prompt measures to safeguard their people, vessels and aqua-culture breeding farms.

He urged for continued watch over 10 fishing vessels which were reported to be on the way to stay anchored.

"None of the vessels should be operating in dangerous areas tonight," Hai said.

He also asked affected localities and provinces in plain and mountainous northern regions to take precautions against heavy rain during the storm.

A team from the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control has been dispatched to central provinces to guide local preparations.

Director of the forecasting centre, Bui Minh Tang, said Son Tinh Typhoon has developed in an unusually complicated manner which has seen its speed increasing to scale 12.

He also said, "while it's difficult to predict exactly where the eye of the storm is, it is highly likely that it will directly hit Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces."

As of 11am yesterday, more than 38,000 ships with 190,000 crew members had been warned about the typhoon's development and instructed to take cover.

The agriculture and rural development ministry has also assigned officials to go to the central north and southern areas of the Hong (Red) Delta to give guidance on protecting dikes, reservoirs and winter crops plants. If heavy rains occur, nearly 100,000ha of rice and 165,000ha of vegetables will be damaged.

Border Guards have assigned more than 4,600 soldiers to prepare for the typhoon.

Forecasts from yesterday predict the typhoon will move between west and north west in the next 24 hours at speeds of up to 24km per hour. The typhoon will be weaker by Sunday as it crosses mountainous areas of central Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces.

Nguyen Quan Chinh, head of central Quang Tri Province's Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control told Viet Nam News yesterday said that the province was forecast to have heavy rains from this morning.

"Although the present weather in the province is fine, we have already conducted all contingency plans for the typhoon," he said.

The steering committee is on watch all day and night to give constant guidance. Local authorities are helping residents living in low and coastal areas to stabilise their houses.

"We have also set up an evacuation plan for residents if necessary," said Chinh. — VNS