Storm Damrey strengthens to level 15

HÀ NỘI — The power of storm No 12, internationally called storm Damrey, which is forecasted to hit the central and southern regions, has been strengthened and it is moving toward the west, according to National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

At 7am on Friday morning, the storm was some 450km off the coast of Khánh Hòa and Ninh Thuận provinces to the east. The strongest wind power near the storm’s eye has reached level 11 and 12 of 18 (100-135km per hour), with a gust of up to level 15 (167-183km per hour).

Trần Quang Hoài, director of the General Department for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that the storm’s movement is very complicated and it will cause heavy rain from the central province of Quảng Trị to Ninh Thuận and Bình Thuận provinces.

At a speed of 20km per hour, the storm is predicted to touch the mainland of the central and southern regions by early Saturday morning. The strongest wind speed at its eye will reach 130km per hour (level 12) when it comes to the mainland.

The storm will reach the strongest level of 12 (of 18) when it is 100km from the shore. Along with impacts of a cold wave, Bình Định, Phú Yên, Khánh Hòa and Ninh Thuận provinces will have a wind power at the strongest level of 10 and 11 (90-100km per hour), the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said.

Since Friday afternoon, the sea from Quảng Ngãi Province to Bình Thuận Province, including Lý Sơn, Phú Quý islands, will have a wind power of level between 7 and 9 (50-88km per hour).

From Friday night until Sunday morning, heavy, continuous rain is forecasted from Ninh Thuận Province to Đà Nẵng City. When storm Damrey moves to the area bordering with Cambodia, the rain will touch Quảng Trị, Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh provinces.

The provinces from Hà Tĩnh to Bình Thuận, Đồng Nai and the Central Highlands region have been warned of rising water levels and floods in rivers.

About 40 boats with more than 300 labourers of Khánh Hòa and Binh Định provinces are in the risk-prone areas. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Nguyễn Xuân Cường, asked ministries, sectors and localities to call for boats to move out of dangerous areas.

He ordered localities to ban fishing boats from going offshore while reviewing reservoirs.

“Hydropower reservoirs must be operated following procedures and at the right time. The key reservoirs must be supervised closely to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.

According to Khánh Hòa Province’s authorities, the province has 183 out of 885 fishing boats catching fish offshore. The crew of these boats have been updated about the storm. The province has issued a ban against fishing offshore since 6pm on Thursday and all tourism activities on islands..

The province has also ordered the evacuation of over 1,300 residents living in lowland and risk-prone areas before 4pm on Friday. — VNS