Ministries, agencies and localities should be on the highest alert for typhoon Aere, the sixth to hit Vietnam so far this year, said Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong.




Cuong, also head of the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, requested the National Centre for Hydro - meteorological Forecasting (NCHF) update the development of the storm and issue timely public warnings.

Coastal cities and provinces need to keep a close watch on the storm’s path as well as fishing boats at sea, he said.

Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, the Voice of Vietnam and local press outlets were asked to regularly carry news on the typhoon.

According to the Border Guard High Command, as of 6am of October 7, nearly 62,640 in coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Khanh Hoa have been guided out of dangerous areas.

The NCHF said at 4am of October 7, the storm’s eye was at about 20.6 degrees north latitude and 117.0 degrees east longitude in the northeast of the East Sea, about 720 km east-northeast of Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. The strongest winds near the centre were estimated at 75-90 km per hour.

In the next 24 hours, the storm is forecast to move west at about 10km per hour. At 4am on October 8, its centre is predicted at 20.7 degrees north latitude and 115.8 degrees east longitude, about 600km to the northeast of Hoang Sa. Its winds are predicted to reach 90-100km per hour.

Cuong said the storm is unlikely to reach the mainland but it is hard to forecast its path in the next 48-72 hours.

VNA