According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, by 7 am August 28, the typhoon, which will be the fourth to hit the country this year, was some 620 kilometres from the east of the Paracel Islands. Wind speeds near the eye of the storm reached roughly 60-75km/hour.

In the next 20 hours, the storm would directly hit the Paracel Islands.

By 7 am on August 30, the storm was set to ravage China’s Hainan Island with the wind speed of 75-100 kilometres per hour.

Within 48-72 hours later, the typhoon would make landfall in Vietnam’s northern and central localities, including from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh provinces. After that, it would weaken into a tropical pressure.

Heavy rains have been predicted to the northern and northern central regions from August 31 to September 2.

Authorities of the central province of Ha Tinh have instructed districts to focus on the rice harvest to avoid being affected by Storm Podul. The provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has been urged to ensure safety for dykes and reservoirs during the storm.