It is forecasted that Typhoon Diamu, the third storm to hit Vietnam this rainy season, will become stronger. According to the information from Chinese weather forecasters, the typhoon has caused heavy rain in Hainan Island with a total rainfall volume of 900mm, which can reach a metre in the next one or two days. Winds near the eye of the storm have reached level 10. On Thursday afternoon, the storm has approached Leizhou Peninsula, China with the wind strength reaching level 10 – 11. The storm has a radius of around 200 km. The storm is travelling at around 10km per hour and has entered the Gulf of Tonkin, directly affecting the coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Nghe An. The situation could worsen if the storm gets stronger and strikes during high tide, which will cause flood with the total rain volume of 400mm and damage the sea walls and drainage system after storm.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc asked Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue to inspect storm mitigation measures in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh, Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng will visit Nam Dinh and Thai Bình and Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has visited Ninh Binh and Thanh Hoa. The prime minister also asked localities to do their utmost to ensure safety.
"Government from the central to the local level must spend time to discuss ways to prepare for the storm, helping local residents protect their lives and property. Authorities must be ready to provide support in case any incidents happen", said Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.
Prime Minister Phúc also asked the coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Nghe An to support local residents to shore up the homes and move to the safer place if necessary, in case of soil erosion and check the safety of reservoirs and dams. The aviation and tourism industry have also been instructed to have plans to ensure safety and to stop taking tourists to high-risk locations. The PM also directed the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to consult information from different sources to make the best forecast about the storm, helping the public best prepare.
