Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp speaks at the meeting held on Wednesday morning to discuss measures to cope with heavy rains and a low-pressure system. — Photo dangcongsan.vn

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyễn Hoàng Hiệp has urged ministries, agencies and localities to implement measures to cope with heavy rains, floods and a low-pressure system in the East Sea.

At a meeting held on Wednesday morning to discuss preparations for the low-pressure system, he said the system was forecast to cause heavy rains in the central region, urging local authorities to ensure safety for aquaculture, domestic fowls and reservoirs.

The eye of the low-pressure system was positioned at 170km east of central coastal provinces from Phú Yên to Khánh Hoà at 7am on Wednesday. It is moving west at a speed of 15-20 km per hour and is expected to enter these localities in the next 24 hours.

The deputy minister noted another low-pressure system has formed in the east of the Philippines and was forecast to develop into a low tropical pressure or a storm in the next few days, heading towards the north-central and central regions of Việt Nam.

In the central region, heavy rains were forecast to last for the next 10 days, starting Wednesday, with an average rainfall of 300-500mm, with rainfall predicted at 500-700mm in provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Quảng Ngãi.

The Central Highlands region was also expected to face rainfall of 100-500mm.

Provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Phú Yên on Wednesday experienced rains of up to 200mm, according to the National Hydrometeorological Forecast Centre. The centre also warned of possible flash floods and landslides in provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Ninh Thuận and in the Central Highlands region.

At the meeting, the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control reported that two people in the northern mountainous Lào Cai Province were killed amid heavy rains and floods hitting the province on Monday night and Tuesday morning. — VNS