Vietnam braces for tropical storm Son Tinh
Tran Quang Hoai, General Director of the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority (VDMA), has underlined the urgent need to set up delegations to inspect the safety of dykes and reservoirs in important areas as a tropical low pressure system has developed into a storm named Son Tinh which will make landfall in the north of Vietnam.
At a meeting in Hanoi on July 17, General Director of the VDMA Hoai, who is also a permanent member of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, asked localities and the Border Guard High Command to keep a close watch on the development of the storm, and advise boats on moving out of dangerous areas.
Apart from evacuating fish cages, localities should work to ensure the safety of tourists, he said, noting that in mountainous areas, which are forecast to be hit by torrential rains, leading to flooding and landslides, the spreading of information must be stepped up to help local residents and authorities promptly evacuate.
Regarding the operation of reservoirs, General Director of the VDMA Hoai urged the VDMA to coordinate with the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) in lowering the water levels of the dams when the storm makes landfall.
At the meeting, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said the storm and tropical low pressure are expected to develop in a complex manner, bringing more rain on July 18 with total rainfalls from 200-300mm, mainly in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, and the northern mountainous provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La.
According to Colonel Tran Duong Kien, from the Border Guard High Command, 41,042 boats at sea have been informed of the impending danger of the storm, the third of its kind to affect the country this year.
In the southern province of Kien Giang, all high-speed boats operating on routes from Rach Gia city to Nam Du and Phu Quoc islands, and from Ha Tien town to Phu Quoc have been postponed in preparation for the impacts of the storm.
Storm Son Tinh is tracking west at a rapid 35km per hour. By 10am on the morning of July 18, the storm will be 270km east of the coast of the northern port city of Hai Phong to Ha Tinh province with the strongest winds near the storm’s eye reaching 75km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
Due to the storm, seas were rough and thunderstorms have affected the northern part of the East Sea, including Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
The centre warned that water levels could rise by 2-4 metres upstream on the Hong (Red) – Thai Binh river system, and swell by 3-7 metres in the upstream of rivers from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
Mountainous areas in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh have been put on high alert for flash floods and landslides, with Yen Bai at particular risk last night, the centre said.
Floods are also forecast to hit lowland and urban areas in the provinces of Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh and Hanoi, as well as in localities from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
At a meeting in Hanoi on July 17, General Director of the VDMA Hoai, who is also a permanent member of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, asked localities and the Border Guard High Command to keep a close watch on the development of the storm, and advise boats on moving out of dangerous areas.
Apart from evacuating fish cages, localities should work to ensure the safety of tourists, he said, noting that in mountainous areas, which are forecast to be hit by torrential rains, leading to flooding and landslides, the spreading of information must be stepped up to help local residents and authorities promptly evacuate.
Regarding the operation of reservoirs, General Director of the VDMA Hoai urged the VDMA to coordinate with the Electricity of Vietnam Group (EVN) in lowering the water levels of the dams when the storm makes landfall.
At the meeting, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said the storm and tropical low pressure are expected to develop in a complex manner, bringing more rain on July 18 with total rainfalls from 200-300mm, mainly in the central provinces of Nghe An and Ha Tinh, and the northern mountainous provinces of Hoa Binh and Son La.
According to Colonel Tran Duong Kien, from the Border Guard High Command, 41,042 boats at sea have been informed of the impending danger of the storm, the third of its kind to affect the country this year.
In the southern province of Kien Giang, all high-speed boats operating on routes from Rach Gia city to Nam Du and Phu Quoc islands, and from Ha Tien town to Phu Quoc have been postponed in preparation for the impacts of the storm.
Storm Son Tinh is tracking west at a rapid 35km per hour. By 10am on the morning of July 18, the storm will be 270km east of the coast of the northern port city of Hai Phong to Ha Tinh province with the strongest winds near the storm’s eye reaching 75km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
Due to the storm, seas were rough and thunderstorms have affected the northern part of the East Sea, including Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
The centre warned that water levels could rise by 2-4 metres upstream on the Hong (Red) – Thai Binh river system, and swell by 3-7 metres in the upstream of rivers from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
Mountainous areas in the provinces of Hoa Binh, Son La, Lai Chau, Yen Bai, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh have been put on high alert for flash floods and landslides, with Yen Bai at particular risk last night, the centre said.
Floods are also forecast to hit lowland and urban areas in the provinces of Hai Duong, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh and Hanoi, as well as in localities from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.
Leave your comment on this story