Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai has ordered central and northern coastal provinces to evacuate people from low-lying areas and complete the work before 21.00 on July 16 to cope with powerful storm Conson.
At an urgent meeting of the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control in Hanoi on July 16, Mr Hai warned that Conson is churning through the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf in complex directions and could dump heavy rain of 400mm on northern mountain provinces.
He asked the Ministry of Industry and Trade to ensure an adequate supply of power for pumping stations to prevent flooding and to keep a close watch on Son La and Hoa Binh reservoirs.
Flood-prone cities and provinces were requested to draw up urgent flood prevention plans, including human resources and equipment to be put in place if required.
Two government inspection teams were dispatched to Hai Phong City, and Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh and Thanh Hoa provinces which are among the first coastal localities to be hard hit by heavy rains, strong winds and high tidal surges.
At 16.00 on July 16, storm Conson was positioned at 17.7 degrees north latitude and 109.8 degrees east longitude, about 450km southeast of the coast from Nghe An to Hai Phong. It was traveling at a speed of between 118-133kph near its center.
On July 17, Conson will make landfall and cause heavy downpours and rough seas along coastal provinces. In the following 24 hours, it will move further inland and weaken into a tropical low pressure system.
In the wake of the powerful storm, Deputy PM Hai signed an urgent telegram, asking localities to be affected to ban fishing vessels from setting sail, guide vessels still out at sea to return to storm shelters, move residents from danger areas, especially in mountainous ones, and mobilize forces to reinforce public works and ensure security in evacuated areas.
He asked the National Committee on Search and Rescue to direct its teams and those from designated ministries and localities to be well prepared for rescue work.
This is the first tropical storm that has hit the East Sea in 2010.
Source: VOV