Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on July 16 asked ministries and localities to concentrate on measures in response to storm Talim, the first storm expected to hit Vietnam this year.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, at 4am on July 17, the storm was 380 km to the east–southeast of China's Leizhou Peninsula with a wind speed of 103-117 km per hour and gusts up to 166 km per hour.

By 4am on July 18, the storm would move mostly west-north west with a speed of 15 km per hour and possibly gain strength. The storm would be about 210 km to the east-southeast of Mong Cai city in Quang Ninh province, and about 310 km to the east of Hai Phong city of Vietnam.

At sea, on the day and night of July 17, the northern area of the East Sea, including the Hoang Sa territorial waters, has rains. The southern area of the Gulf of Tonkin, the middle and southern areas of the East Sea, including the Truong Sa territorial waters, the sea from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau, Ca Mau to Kien Giang, and the Gulf of Thailand have strong showers and thunderstorms. In the afternoon and night of July 17, the northern area of the Gulf of Tonkin has heavy rains during which, there is a possibility of tornadoes and strong gusts of wind.

The PM sent the request to the chairpersons of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Hanoi, Hung Yen, Phu Tho, Vinh Phuc, Hai Duong, Ha Nam, Hoa Binh, Bac Ninh, Bac Giang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Yen Bai, Bac Kan, Tuyen Quang, and Thai Nguyen.

The Ministries of National Defence; Public Security; Natural Resources and Environment; Agriculture and Rural Development; Transport, Industry and Trade; Construction; Information and Communications; Culture, Sports and Tourism; Education and Training; and Foreign Affairs were also asked to take response measures for the storm together with the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue of Vietnam.

Responding to the coming storm, authorities in the northeastern coastal province of Quang Ninh requested units and localities to keep contact with vehicles operating at sea, providing them with information on the location and storm movements to actively instruct them to reach safe shelters and away from dangerous areas.

The province also asked aquaculture growers to urgently consolidate their aquaculture cages and local authorities were asked to evacuate people from aquaculture areas with priority given to women, the elderly, and children. The evacuation must be completed before 4pm on July 17.

Localities, especially those on islands, were asked to review the number of tourists and provide them with proper information about the storm.

Relevant authorities and agencies must review the landslides-prone locations to have specific response plans; organise the opening of the drainage system, particularly in urban areas. Localities in mountainous areas must be ready to respond to floods and landslides.

Meanwhile, the coastal city of Hai Phong also took storm-responding measures to ensure safety for people, aquaculture production, fishing vehicles, and infrastructure in vulnerable areas of coastal areas or mountainous ones.

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecasting Department at the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, said storm Talim would directly affect Quang Ninh and Hai Phong on July 18-19.

However, another possibility is that the storm, after passing through Leizhou, will deviate to the south and expand the effect to the south of the northern delta. This scenario has a low probability but needs to be kept in mind, Huong said.

In addition to strong winds, the storm will cause prolonged heavy rains in the northern region, so Huong suggested localities prepare for heavy rains and urban flooding. The storm can also cause flash floods and landslides in northern mountainous provinces.

"Heavy rain occurred after many consecutive days of rainstorms and heat, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides from July 18 in the northern region, especially in provinces like Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai, and Yen Bai," Huong said as quoted on vnexpress.net./. VNA