Ministries, localities asked to actively respond to Storm Talim

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang speaks at the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Director of the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem, said Talim could be one of the strongest storms to hit Vietnam’s northern region in the last three to five years.

In the morning and afternoon of July 18, the storm will directly affect Vietnam’s mainland, Khiem said. The northern part of the East Sea/South China Sea will experience winds with a velocity of up to 88 km per hour or even higher. Heavy rains during and after the storm could cause the biggest danger, especially for the northern mountainous provinces, as they can cause flash floods and landslides, Khiem said.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang, also head of the steering committee and the National Committee for Search and Rescue of Vietnam requested localities to well implement the Prime Minister’s direction on storm prevention and control issued on July 16, ordering them to coordinate with each other properly before, during, and after the storm to minimise the damage.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, at 4am on July 17, the storm was 380 km to the east–southeast of China's Leizhou Peninsula with a wind speed of 103-117 km per hour and gusts up to 166 km per hour.

By 4am on July 18, the storm could move mostly west-north west with a speed of 15 km per hour and possibly gain strength. The storm would be about 210 km to the east-southeast of Mong Cai city in Quang Ninh province, and about 310 km to the east of Hai Phong city.

At sea, on the day and night of July 17, the northern area of the East Sea, including the Hoang Sa territorial waters, has rains. The southern area of the Gulf of Tonkin, the middle and southern areas of the East Sea, including the Truong Sa territorial waters, the sea from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau, Ca Mau to Kien Giang, and the Gulf of Thailand have seen strong showers and thunderstorms. In the afternoon and night of July 17, the northern area of the Gulf of Tonkin could see heavy rains, with a possibility of tornadoes and strong gusts of wind.

Northern coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Ninh Binh have planned to evacuate about 30,000 people due to Talim, the first storm to hit Vietnam this year, which is to make landfall on July 18. Thai Binh province is evacuating the most people with over 19,000 people from dangerous areas and aquaculture areas.

The evacuation order was announced at an online meeting between the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and 27 localities in northern and north-central regions on July 17.

There are 553 vessels and inland watercraft operating in the area from Quang Ninh to Nghe An and all of them have received information about the storm.