Typhoon TALIM has been downgraded to a strong tropical storm before it strikes northern coastal provinces on July 18 afternoon.

Northern coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Ninh Binh have planned to evacuate about 30,000 people due to Talim, the first storm to hit Vietnam this year, which is to make a landfall on July 18.

National flag carrier Vietnam Airlines has rescheduled international flights on July 17 due to storm Talim, the first of its kind forecast to hit Vietnam this year.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has asked relevant ministries, agencies and localities to take immediate measures to cope with powerful typhoon TALIM that is heading towards the northern coast.

A tropical depression active in the East Sea has strengthened into Storm Talim, the first storm expected to hit Vietnam this year, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

The low pressure zone in the eastern sea area of the central Philippines has developed into a tropical depression, and is forecast to head towards the East Sea, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

Disturbances are likely to occur on the tropical convergence belt between July 15 and July 20, with this forecast to develop into a tropical depression or storm over the East Sea.

Meteorologists said that the first tropical depression or storm would form in the East Sea on July 20 or July 21, resulting in much of the rains in the Central region following a long time of heat waves.

Most storms and tropical depressions have been forecasted to affect the East Sea and Vietnam between August and October.

Vietnam is likely to experience slightly higher temperatures in July this year with one or two typhoons expected to hit the East Sea, according to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting.

Weathermen forecast partial thunderstorms will hit the South in the afternoon and evening while new heat waves are descending the North until the end of June.

Most of provinces and cities nationwide have recorded ultraviolet levels of “high” and “very high” risk of harm on May 27, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

About 1,100ha of farmland in the northern mountainous provinces face imminent risks of drought, according to the Department of Water Resources under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Residents in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi’s complained about power outages while the city is experiencing the most brutal stretch yet of an ongoing heat wave.

After three years of the La Nina weather pattern which is the other phase of ENSO, the El Nino phenomenon is likely to return in Vietnam in late May or early June, with a probability of up to 80%, and this phenomenon may last into early 2024.

According to the World Health Organisation, a UV index of 7.5 to 10.4 is deemed "very high", which means a very high risk of harm from unprotected sun exposure.

A new heat wave is forecast to strike northern and central regions of Vietnam next week, with daytime temperatures to hit a high of 42℃, according to the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

El Nino is set to return in late May or early June, with the weather pattern likely to last till early 2024, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting of Vietnam.

Vietnam is forecast to experience extreme weather conditions and severe fluctuations in temperatures this summer.

The water level of Tri An hydropower reservoir, the largest of its kind in the southern region, has dropped to “dead level” due to a prolonged dry season and El Niño phenomena.