Cities and provinces in the central and southern central regions have been urged to take measures to deal with the heavy rainfall caused by the tropical pressure and the cold wave, the Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said.

Tang Quoc Chính, deputy head of the Steering Committee, asked localities to stay up-to-date on any information on the rainfall while dealing with the aftermath of the storm Nock-ten, the 10th storm of this year.

The storm has weakened into a tropical low-pressure system on Wednesday when it passed through the northern part of the Trường Sa (Spratly) Archipelago.

Earlier, widespread heavy rainfall between 100 and 300mm was predicted to occur in the central and southern central provinces from December 29 to January 1, 2017, making the rivers from Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa provinces in full spate.

Flash floods from small rivers and streams, landslides in mountainous areas and a deluge in lowland and riverside areas in the region are also forecast.

Chính has urged the affected localities to check water reservoirs and discharge water if necessary, particularly 24 reservoirs which were nearly full.

The General Department of Irrigation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has sent two teams to work with local authorities to inspect the reservoirs and undertake timely measures when required.

He noted that the water level would significantly increase in the coming days, thus local authorities should pay attention to flood-prone areas and ensure the safety of people.

Border soldiers have reported that nearly 81,000 vessels from Quảng Bình to Kiên Giang Province have been informed about the direction of the storm and asked to move to safer places.

Earlier, the storm killed at least three people and forced thousands of locals to evacuate when it made landfall on the eastern island province of Catanduanes of the Philippines on Christmas Day.

VNS