VietNamNet Bridge - This morning, September 30, the storm eye was about 200 km off the coast of Ha Tinh and Thua Thien - Hue provinces and is expected to hit land at 4pm.

The maximum wind power was measured at149 kilometers per hour. Local authorities are evacuating thousands of people out of the dangerous areas.

According to the National Center for Hydro-meteorology Forecast, at 4am on September 30, the storm was 230km east southeast off the coast of Ha Tinh province and Hue city, with maximum gusts of 149 kilometers per hour (level 13). The storm is moving in the direction between west and west northwest, at the average speed of about 20 km per hour.

It is forecasted that the typhoon will make landfall in the central provinces from Ha Tinh to Quang Tri at 4pm today, with maximum wind power of 102 kilometers per hour (level 10). It will later weaken into a tropical depression.

The waters off the coast of the provinces from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai and southern Gulf of Tonkin will have strong wind of level 10. The provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Nam will also have strong wind. Particularly, the provinces from Nghe An to Thua Thien Hue will have very strong winds from level 9 to level 15.

 According to the Hong Kong Meteorological Observatory Station, Storm Wutip will hit the city of Dong Hoi in Quang Binh province, Vietnam.

Due to the northern edge of the storm, this evening and tonight, the northern plain will have rain. The northern waters of Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces will have gust of level 8.

To ensure the safety of coastal residents, Ha Tinh last night began emergency evacuation of more than 22,000 people from the dangerous areas. Even in the night, many families packed their luggage waiting for the evacuation order. Dozens of schools were chosen as the shelters.

According to the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control, the border guard forces of central provinces have informed more than 61,000 vessels and more than 300,000 people of the movements of the storm.

At 7am this morning, all boats of Thanh Hoa provinces were ashore safely. In Nghe An province, there were 52 small boats operating inshore and they have been urgently called back to shore.

Thao My