Storm batters the North

HA NOI — Heavy rains would hit northern provinces as Storm Chanthu moved along the border between Viet Nam and China, warned the National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre.

The storm was forecast to hit China's Guangxi Zhuang today with its eye being at 21.4 degrees north and 110.6 degrees east at 1am today, around 170km from the northeast of northern Quang Ninh Province's Mong Cai Town.

Wind speeds near the storm's centre are likely to increase in force up to levels nine and ten on the Beaufort Scale, reaching 102 kmph with a dangerous wind gust area spread over 250km.

The storm is moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of between 10-15km per hour along the border between the two countries, directly affecting provinces in the northeastern region after decreasing in strength into a tropical low.

Under the storm's influence, the northern coastal province of Quang Ninh is likely to experience winds of levels eight or nine and northern regions would have heavy rains which are set to last two to three days.

Northern mountainous areas have been put on alert for flash floods and landslides.

At 1pm today, the eye of the tropical low was forecast to be 110km from the east of northern mountainous Cao Bang Province with wind gusts of 61kmph.

The Border Guard High Command reported that nearly 46,000 ships with more than 202,600 people onboard from Quang Ninh to Binh Dinh provinces had been safely harboured.

Border guards let off signal flares at 27 fixed points and 14 mobile points as storm warnings.

In northern mountainous Ha Giang Province, floods caused by heavy rains on Wednesday swept away a child on the way to school. — VNS