As of Friday afternoon, about 600 households in Tiên Yên District, Quảng Ninh Province suffered from serious flooding following heavy rainfall. Soldiers and police officers are helping people relocate to safer places. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Localities must be ready to take measures to protect agricultural and aquaculture production zones after heavy rains caused by storm Maon, said the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control yesterday.

The committee also required cities and provinces to be proactive in responding to the effects of the storm, closely following weather forecasts and warnings to promptly inform local authorities and people of the risks.

Localities are required to conduct assessments in residential areas along water bodies and low-lying areas, which could be at risk of flash floods and landslides, and to stay ready to evacuate people if necessary.

Measures must be prepared to prevent water logging in agricultural areas, protecting plants and crops as well as aquaculture ponds.

Construction managers along river banks and vessel owners should also be notified about the weather situation, in order to actively take protection measures for their staff, construction sites, equipment and other assets.

At mines, water reservoirs and dykes, standby teams are also required to monitor and handle any possible situation caused by the storm effects.

Storm Maon has weakened to a low-pressure system in the North after hitting the northern coast of the country on Thursday evening.

The tropical storm caused strong winds of up to 102km per hour in Quảng Ninh Province, Hải Phòng City and their islands.

These localities and other provinces such as Bắc Giang, Thái Bình, Hải Dương, Hòa Bình, Phú Thọ and Sơn La also saw heavy rain, with rainfall measured between 95 to 192mm.

Localities in Phú Thọ and Hòa Bình have also been working to mitigate landslides caused by downpours in the area.

Hải Dương saw nearly 3,360ha of its crop and rice fields flooded. Pumping stations are working under the management of local authorities to minimise the damage.

Authorities help people move their belongings out of a flooded zone in Cẩm Phả City, Quảng Ninh Province. — VNA/VNS Photo

Trees were felled in Hải Phòng, Quảng Ninh. Flooding was also recorded in multiple northern cities and provinces.

Approximately 20 electric poles collapsed in Móng Cái City, Quảng Ninh Province. The locality is working to restore the power supply to these locations.

As of yesterday noon, Quảng Ninh reported no casualties caused by the storm.

Gusts and heavy rain are still expected tonight in the North of the country, with average rainfall measuring at 50-100mm.

This figure in Hà Nội is forecast to be 40 to 70mm.

The National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that the weather situation in the North and Thanh Hóa Province continue to be complicated.

The low-pressure system is now in the northern region and is forecast to continue moving westward before disappearing in the mountainous area. — VNS

Flooding damaged the provincial road 109 in Nậm Păm Commune, Mường La District, Sơn La Province. — VNA/VNS Photo