The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control sent an urgent document this morning, asking coastal provinces and cities to take measures to cope with Typhoon Kujira.

The document was sent to provinces and cities from the northern Quang Ninh Province to the central Thanh Hoa Province, the northern mountainous provinces such as Ha Giang, Cao Bang and Bac Kan, and relevant ministries such as public security, transport and agriculture and rural development.

The document said that at 4am today, Typhoon Kujira, the first typhoon this year, was about 300km off Mong Cai District in Quang Ninh Province, with wind speeds of 62km to 74km per hour. The forecast says by 4pm today, the typhoon will move in the north-western direction. By 4am tomorrow, the typhoon will be on the border between Viet Nam and China with wind speeds of 40km to 50km per hour.

The forecast says on Thursday, the typhoon will enter the mainland and become a tropical low pressure area, with a wind speed of 40km per hour.

Due to the typhoon, the northern area will receive heavy rain. The northern mountainous area, including Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang, can expect flash floods and landslides.

The national steering committee asked provinces and cities to recall ships in the northern area of the Bac Bo (Tonkin Gulf). Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City have been told to ban ships from going out to sea.

Quang Ninh has been asked to prepare to shift residents living in dangerous areas to safer places.

The northern provinces and cities have been asked to monitor the typhoon's progress to take appropriate measures.

Provinces and cities are expected to ask workers to be on duty through day and night and to report the latest information in the localities immediately to the national steering committee.

VNS