The direction of the tropical low-pressure system. — Photo nchmf.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — A tropical low-pressure system has been upgraded to a typhoon.

Matmo, the fifth storm this year, was bearing down on the northern part of Trường Sa (Spratly) Archipelago at 7pm yesterday, about 500km east of the provinces of Bình Định and Ninh Thuận. The strongest winds near the eye of the storm were 60-75km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

In the next 24 hours, the storm was forecast to move west at a speed of 15-20km per hour.

The storm was likely to make landfall in Bình Định to Ninh Thuận, before weakening to a tropical depression.

Total rainfall of 300-400mm would blanket provinces from Thừa Thiên Huế to Ninh Thuận between Wednesday and Thursday. Heavier torrential rains, with up to 600mm, would hit Bình Định, Phú Yên and Khánh Hoà provinces.

Rainfall of 200-300mm was also predicted to hit provinces from Thanh Hoá to Thừa Thiên Huế from Thursday until the end of Saturday, while 300-500mm was expected in the provinces of Nghệ An, Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình at the same time, the centre said.

The NCHMF warned that heavy rains were likely in central provinces from November 4-5.

Response

Nguyễn Xuân Cường, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, also deputy head of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, chaired an urgent meeting yesterday morning to direct agencies to prepare for the tropical low-pressure system.

Cường said the system was expected to bring torrential rains for two regions, so he urged the agencies to take prompt measures to minimise damage to both humans and property.

He asked the Ministry of Transport, Border Guard Force and the Directorate of Fisheries to work together to keep an eye on the tropical low-pressure system’s development and inform fishermen so they could find a safe anchorage.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade, Directorate of Water Resources and local administration in the affected provinces should ensure safety for reservoirs during heavy rains and floods, he said.

Evacuation for people living in high risk areas of flash flood and landslide needed to be quickly implemented, he said.

Trần Quang Hoài, director of the Việt Nam Disaster Management Authority, told the localities to ban vessels from going out to sea if necessary.

Data from the authority showed that by 6am yesterday, there were 741 vessels operating in dangerous areas.

Hoài told relevant agencies to instruct the vessels to move to a safe shelter.

In the meantime, Phú Yên and Khánh Hoà – the two provinces forecast to be affected the most from the storm, have prepared to cope with it.

Colonel Nguyễn Thanh Hương, deputy head of the Phú Yên Province’s Border Guard Command, said it had dispatched soldiers to help residents reinforce their houses and update the storm’s developments to offshore vessels.

In Khánh Hoà Province, the local border guard force has arranged two ships and soldiers to be on call for emergencies. — VNS