A woman rides her bicycle under torrential rain, triggered by typhoon Mulan, in Hà Nội on Thursday morning. — VNS/VNS Photo Thanh Tùng

HÀ NỘI — Authorities have been urged not to let their guard down as typhoon Mulan weakens into a tropical low-pressure system on Thursday morning.

Deputy head of the Việt Nam Natural Disaster Management Authority Nguyễn Văn Tiến, made the statement at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on Thursday morning in Hà Nội.

Tiến said that the storm will continue to cause both moderate and heavy rainfall across the northern region and urged people to monitor weather reports.

In the northern delta and coastal areas, drainage systems must be kept clear to protect agricultural production, low-lying and urban areas, and industrial zones, he added.

The ministry will continue implementing a plan to evacuate people living in areas at risk of flash flooding and landslides.

In the northern mountainous localities, forces must put up warning signs around dangerous areas and guide people and vehicles to participate in traffic safely during the heavy rains, he said.

Rescue forces must be ready to cope with landslides and inundation, he said.

Local administration are assigned to check reservoirs to ensure safety of both people and property, he said.

Hà Nội and northern localities will continue experiencing heavy rains, with the maximum rainfall of 200mm, until Friday, the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting warned on Thursday morning.

Airlines adjust flight plans

In response to impacts of typhoon Mulan in the Gulf of Tokin, Vietnamese airlines adjusted flights to and from some airports from Thursday.

Vietnam Airlines has cancelled two flights between the northern port city of Hải Phòng and HCM City and will delay flights between Hải Phòng and a series of localities – Buôn Mê Thuột, Cam Ranh, Đà Lạt and HCM City – on Thursday.

Passengers on flights affected by the storm will be supported by the carrier in line with regulations and transferred to other available flights of the same itinerary, if required.

Bamboo Airways, meanwhile, adjusted schedules for flights from/to Pleiku, Đà Nẵng, Cát Bi, Vinh, and Vân Đồn airports on Thursday.

Vietjet also announced that it would adjust schedules of some flights to Hải Phòng. —VNS