The Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control held an urgent meeting in Hanoi on November 5 to work out measures against a tropical low pressure-turned storm heading towards the East Sea.
Bui Minh Tang, Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), said the 13th tropical storm (Haiyan) may hit coastal areas from the south-central province of Khanh Hoa down to Ba Ria-Vung Tau in the next few days.
Cao Duc Phat, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development and also Head of the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control, said local authorities should warn off-shore fishing vessels to find safe shelter away from the danger zone and coastal residents to take preventive measures.
*** Earlier on November 4, the Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and the National Committee on Search and Rescue issued an urgent notice urging coastal provinces to brace themselves for the coming tropical storm Krosa and following storms.
The notice required coastal provinces and cities from Da Nang to Kien Giang to implement the previous notice No. 83/CD-TW dated November 3.
Authorities of the provinces and cities and the ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, Communications and Transport, Public Security, Industry and Trade, and Agriculture and Rural Development are responsible for notifying off-shore fishing vessels to avoid dangerous zones and find safe anchorage sites, the message said.
Meanwhile, rescue forces and facilities were asked to stand ready against the natural calamity.
According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the storm is moving southwest quickly and weakening into a tropical low-pressure area.
By 1pm on November 4, the storm was about 150km north-northwest of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago with wind speeds ranging from 62-74km per hour.
In the next 24-48 hours, the storm will move southwest at a speed of 30km per hour, and will weaken to a tropical low-pressure area and head into mainland areas from Da Nang to Binh Dinh.
It will also generate widespread rain in the central region from Quang Tri to Binh Dinh and the north of the Central Highlands.
(VOV)
