HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc requested ministries, agencies and localities to prepare for tropical storm Nida, given the likelihood of it hitting northern Việt Nam.

Storm Nida, which entered the East Sea on Sunday night, is forecast to cause torrential rain from tonight, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting. 

To prepare for the storm, PM Phúc asked for a close watch on the storm’s development from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting. The forecasts must be provided timely and publicly to relevant agencies and media sources. 

The Ministry of Information and Communications, Việt Nam Television, the Voice of Việt Nam, and all media agencies were asked to increase the frequency of broadcasting information about forecasts, warnings and instructions. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development was asked to maintain regular contact with ships at sea, provide them information on the storm, and instruct them to not to enter dangerous areas. 

The ministry will direct localities to take measures to ensure the safety of dykes, dams and other irrigation systems. 

The PM requested the National Committee on Search and Rescue and the Ministry of Defence to be ready to help localities in search and rescue missions if needed. 

Also yesterday, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control held an urgent meeting to discuss Nida.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and deputy head of the committee, Hoàng Văn Thắng, requested all coastal localities to guide boats out of dangerous areas. Mountain areas were urged to prepare for landslides and flash floods.

He asked the forecast agency to provide timely information to the committee and local authorities.

Thắng suggested the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Electricity of Việt Nam to ensure electric power.

At 6am yesterday, the High Command of Border Guard announced guidelines for the anchoring of 53,000 ships and boats and provided information about the storm to 234,000 people.

Nida, the second storm to hit the East Sea this year, is forecast to be moving towards Hong Kong’s shore with wind speeds up to 120km per hour, and make landfall in the southern part of China. 

The first storm of this year, Mirinae, killed three people in Hà Nội, Hà Giang and Hà Nam, and injured 21 others in Hà Nội, Thái Nguyên, Hòa Bình, Nam Định, and Thái Bình. It blew off the roofs of more than 24,700 houses, and uprooted over 44,000 trees in northern provinces, reported the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on Saturday. — VNS