A felled tree in Huế City as Storm Vamco brings strong wind and heavy rains to the central provinces. VNA/VNS Photo Đỗ Trưởng

HÀ NỘI — Storm Vamco, the 13th storm to enter the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) this year, made landfall in the central provinces of Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh on Sunday afternoon.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, at 1pm on Sunday, the storm's eye was in the area between Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh with wind speeds of 60-75km per hour, gusting to 103-117km per hour.

The storm moved west-northwest at 15km per hour, entering deep into mainland Hà Tĩnh and Quảng Bình.

At 7pm on Sunday, the storm is expected to be a tropical low-pressure system in the border area between Việt Nam and Laos with wind speeds of 50km per hour, sometimes gusting to 60-70km per hour.

Since Saturday under the storm’s influence, heavy rains battered central provinces.

In Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, trees were uprooted and roofs of houses were blown away due to strong winds.

The roofs of four classes in a primary school in Phú Thuận Commune were also destroyed.

High tides increased nearly two metres in Thảo Long Dam while river water levels increased slightly on the Hương and Bồ rivers.

Earlier, the province evacuated more than 21,100 households with some 71,000 people. People were asked to not go out from Saturday night.

Six people in the central province of Quảng Trị were reportedly injured when reinforcing their houses before the storm. According to the province’s Committee or Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Search and Rescue, nearly 100 local houses had their roofs blown away, 23 wells used for aquaculture production were damaged and 17 electrical poles collapsed.

Erosion occurred in the coast off Gio Hải Commune, Gio Linh District, damaging 15 restaurants.

Earlier, the province evacuated more than 35,000 people to safety. Authorities helped residents reinforce more than 3,000 houses, mostly in the coastal districts of Vĩnh Linh, Gio Linh, Triệu Phong, Hải Lăng and two mountainous districts of Đakrông and Hướng Hóa.

The central province of Quảng Bình saw heavy rains and strong winds on Sunday morning. Floodwater levels started increasing in the morning in districts of Lệ Thủy and Quảng Ninh.

Quảng Bình Province's authorities evacuated nearly 14,260 households with more than 47,370 people to safety in response to the storm.

In central Đà Nẵng City, from Saturday night to Sunday, the water level of the Hàn River increased, flowing onto its banks.

The pavement along Như Nguyệt Street and coastal roads in Sơn Trà District were damaged. 

Heavy rains with rainfall of 50-100mm will continue until Monday in provinces from Thanh Hòa to Quảng Bình. Some areas are expected to have heavier rains with rainfall of more than 150mm. VNS