Vice head of the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, Tran Quang Hoai, speaks at the meeting
Speaking at a meeting held on Wednesday on preparations for the storm, vice head of the committee, Tran Quang Hoai cited some forecasts from some international weather forecasting stations as saying that the storm would enter the East Sea on December 18 and 19.
Deputy director of the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, Hoang Phuc Lam, told the meeting that as of Wednesday morning, the storm was situated 800 kilometres east of the Philippines, with a wind speed of 100-117km per hour.
"Storm Rai is forecast to travel northwest and pick up strength, with wind speeds increasing to 135-165km per hour," he said. "However, it may weaken after passing the Philippines."
It is expected to make landfall on Monday next week.
Hoai said that they had prepared several scenarios for the storm.
"We've asked authorities in the coastal localities from the northern central province of Quang Binh to the southern province of Ca Mau to closely monitor the development of the storm," he said. "Fishing boats must be promptly informed of the storm development at sea."
