Lao Cai is the first northern province to claim damages caused by strong winds and heavy rains due to typhoon Hato, after it made landfall China on Wednesday noon and kept moving north-westward.

Strong wind blew down trees in Lao Cai City in northern Lao Cai Province. 

By 5pm Wednesday, strong winds blew away the roofs of  more than 750 houses, including 128 in Lao Cai City, 103 in Sapa District, 255 in Muong Khuong District, 190 in Bao Thang District and 59 in Van Ban District.

Heavy rainfall and strong winds also damaged 40ha of rice and vegetables and 37ha of corn.

The provincial People’s Committee has estimated damages at some VNĐ7 billion (US$308,000)

As soon as storm damages were reported, chairman of the People’s Committee Dang Xuan Phong asked local agencies to cancel all meetings and focus on resolving the storm aftermaths.

People living in areas prone to flashfloods and landslides were evacuated, while those whose roofs were blown away were provided safe accommodation.

In Ha Giang Province, heavy rain from Wednesday afternoon affected the transportation of goods and products to Thanh Thuy Border Gate, said Do Viet Hop, vice head of the province’s Economic Zone Management Department.

On Thursday morning, coastal northern Quang Ninh Province reported light showers in almost all localities in the province, with typhoon Hato not having a significant impact on the area.

Chairman of Co To Island District People’s Committee Hoang Ba Nam said on Wednesday, the island district was forecast to get heavy rainfall and strong winds of levels 7 to 10, but currently, it was experiencing light showers and winds of level 6.

All boats were banned from sailing from Cai Rong Port to the island and vice versa from Wednesday afternoon. The boats would be allowed to resume work on Thursday afternoon if the weather improved, director of Quang Ninh Province’s Inland Waterway Authority Le Hong Thang said.

In Hanoi, on Wednesday afternoon, strong winds uprooted a large tree on Pham Van Dong Street, resulting in a traffic jam on the road leading to My Dinh coach station – a major station in the city.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, typhoon Hato will become a low pressure system over the border area between Viet Nam and China on Thursday evening. Its influence may result in heavy rainfall in the northern provinces.

At a meeting of National Steering Committee for Natural Disasters Prevention and Control on Thursday morning, the committee asked northern mountainous provinces to be on alert to flash flood and landslide.

Hydro power plants must update the rainfall to release water from their reservoirs if needed. 

VNS