Central localities ramp up efforts to brace for Typhoon Conson

In Da Nang city, Tho Quang Fishery Port, which was temporarily closed to prevent COVID-19 transmission for more than one month, has been reopened since September 10 to receive boats seeking shelter.

The city has 1,242 boats with 7,432 workers, most of whom have taken shelter.

Meanwhile, local residents have been reinforcing their houses and stocking up on food.

On September 11 morning, Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Le Trung Chinh issued an official dispatch requesting localities and sectors in Da Nang to complete preparations to cope with the storm by noon of the day.

In Quang Ngai province, the administration also issued an urgent dispatch urging the island district of Ly Son and coastal Binh Son district to warn their residents not to leave their homes from the noon of September 11 in order to stay safe.

Other localities have to quickly take measures to restrict movement on roads and to areas predicted to be affected by Typhoon Conson.

Relevant forces were told to evacuate people to safe places while following COVID-19 prevention and control measures, ensure sufficient food and essential goods, and ready personnel and equipment to assist people when necessary.

The Quang Ngai administration also asked coastal localities to continue banning boats from going out to sea and instruct those that are still at sea to seek shelter.

In its official dispatch released on the same day, the People’s Committee of the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum also asked local authorities to keep a close watch on the storm and flood situation to implement response measures while moving residents in vulnerable places to safer areas,.

At 4pm on September 11, the storm’s centre was about 110km to the east of the Quang Tri - Quang Ngai coast, sustaining wind speeds of up to 65 - 90km per hour.

In the next six hours, Conson is forecast to move westwards at 5 - 10km per hour, on the waters off the coast between Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai provinces. It will keep moving westwards at the same speeds in the following six - 12 hours, abate into a tropical depression, and roll into the mainland area from Thua Thien-Hue and Quang Ngai.

At 4am on September 12, its eye is predicted to be at about 15.7 degrees North and 108.1 degrees East, with the strongest winds of 40 - 60km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.