Tourist and fishing boats in northern Vietnam have been moved into storm shelters and securely tied down as Storm Narra approaches, bringing torrential rain to Quang Ninh and threatening exceptionally heavy downpours across the region.

By midday on August 22, scores of tourist boats had been moved by crews and operators to the storm shelter at Ha Long Shipbuilding Company in Quang Ninh Province.

The vessels were lined up tightly across the anchorage, with ropes securing them firmly to one another. Two crew members remained aboard each boat to monitor conditions and keep the vessels safe.

Tran Van Dung, 33, a member of the B.C tourist boat fleet, said he and other crew members began moving their vessel that morning from Ha Long International Cruise Port in Bai Chay Ward to the designated storm shelter.

Once there, Dung and his colleagues worked through the rain to secure the vessel and stock up on food for the days they expected to spend on storm watch.

“As soon as I received information about Storm No. 4, I moved the boat to the shelter,” Dung said. “We then tied it to fixed points on shore, reinforced the moorings and secured it alongside other vessels. Two of us will take turns staying on board until the storm passes, and only then will the boat resume operations.”

At Ha Long International Cruise Port, meanwhile, the berths normally occupied by tourist vessels were largely empty, with only a few large cruise boats remaining at anchor.

Tourists traveling on island routes had been brought back to the mainland earlier in the morning and transferred to hotels.

Quang Ninh was experiencing torrential rain, with flooding already reported in several areas.

Under the combined influence of the storm’s circulation and the Intertropical Convergence Zone, widespread rainfall of 100-200mm is forecast across northeastern Vietnam, southern Phu Tho and Thanh Hoa from August 22 through the night of August 24, with isolated totals exceeding 400mm.

Quang Ninh and Hai Phong are forecast to receive 250-350mm, with isolated areas potentially exceeding 600mm. Lang Son and Bac Ninh could see 200-300mm, with localized rainfall of more than 500mm.

Widespread rain may continue across northern Vietnam and Thanh Hoa even after the night of August 24.