Mindulle to slam into central coast

Tropical Storm Mindulle, the third for the year, is expected to hit the coastal provinces from Thai Binh to Ha Tinh today. — VNA/VNS File Photo   Residents relocate fishing boats in Hai Loc Commune in Hau Loc District of northern Thanh Hoa Province. The country is now preparing for the arrival of Tropical Storm Mindulle. — VNA/VNS Photo Trong Dat

The eye of storm, the third of the year, is expected to fall at 18.3 degrees north and 107.0 degrees east, or about 80km north-east of the coastal provinces from Nghe An to Quang Binh, at 1pm today with winds gusting to 133kph at its centre.

It is forecast to gain strength as it travels west-northwest during the next 24 hours at 15kph.

The storm delivered rain to central provinces yesterday with average falls of between 20mm-60mm; the heaviest was 297mm in Quang Ngai Province.

Message

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung sent an urgent message to ministries, agencies and coastal administrations yesterday saying that the heavy rain - together with the falls of the past few days - could cause floods and landslides, particularly in provinces from Ninh Binh to Ha Tinh.

He asked coastal provinces' People's Committees from Quang Ninh to Quang Ngai to advise vessels working offshore to seek shelter.

They were also asked to evacuate people out of high-risk zones, particularly near river mouths, and prepare food and medicine to cope with the effects of the storm.

The trade and agriculture and rural development ministries were required to ensure the soundness of reservoirs and the national search and rescue committee was ordered to stand by.

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai yesterday asked the administrators of potentially vulnerable localities to take drastic measures to cope with Storm Mindulle.

The storm was moving quickly and was accompanied by prolonged and heavy rain, he said.

This meant the priority should be to ensure the soundness of reservoirs and the evacuation of people in flash-flood and landslide-prone zones as well as aquaculture farms.

Hai, who was speaking at a meeting of the National Flood and Storm Prevention and Control Committee and relevant ministries and agencies, said the hydrometeorological forecast centre must closely monitor the storm's progress and provide updated information to allow a prompt response.

Thanh Hoa Dyke, Flood and Storm Prevention Control director Nguyen Trong Hai assured Viet Nam News that the province was ready for Mindulle.

"Various preventive measures are being taken to cope with the storm," he said.

"These include deploying police and soldiers for round-the-clock emergency rescues; advising all ships working offshore to seek shelter; checking the dyke system; and preparing plans to relocate people from areas prone to floods and landslides.

The Border Guard High Command reports that it has maintained contact with 58,117 ships with 246,311 fishermen onboard.

Twenty of the ships with 281 crew aboard are working in dangerous waters and its attempt to contact 10 ships and their 137 fishermen have failed.

The General Irrigation Department says water in northern reservoirs is still 5-9m below capacity; in central Viet Nam, reservoirs are 4-12m below capacity.

Mindulle is expected to eventually weaken to a tropical low with its eye at 20.1 degree north and 104.2 degree east or on the Viet Nam-Laos border tomorrow.—VNS