A teleconference took place in Hanoi on December 23 to direct coastal provinces from Quang Nam to Ca Mau ready themselves for typhoon Tembin.

Scene at the teleconference (Photo: tuoitre.vn)

At the event, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, also head of the Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, asked relevant localities to actively deal with the storm in order to minimise human and asset losses.

Attention must be paid to calling upon ships to find shelters, evacuating people from dangerous areas, and preparing necessary tools for search and rescue activities, Cuong emphasised.

He requested the Vietnam Television, Radio the Voice of Vietnam and press agencies to increase coverage of storm developments and disseminate disaster-response skills among the public.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, typhoon Tembin is moving west-northwest at a speed of 20-25 km per hour and is expected to hit the East Sea on the night of December 23. 

In the next 24 – 48 hours, the storm is forecast to move west at a speed of 25 km per hour and keep gaining strength. By 10am on December 25, the storm will be about 300 - 400 km east of the coast of provinces from Ba Ria – Vung Tau to Ca Mau, with strongest wind speed ranging between 100 and 135 km per hour (up to level 15). The risk of natural disaster is projected at level 3. 

More than 67,500 boats are estimated to be operating across waters from Quang Nam to Ca Mau and Kien Giang, with 29 landslide-prone spots spanning 121 km near coastal residential areas. Sea dykes from Quang Nam to Ca Mau have a total length of 993.4 km, and are capable of ensuring safety against storms at level 9.-VNA