Coastal central provinces brace for typhoon Sonca

Central provinces are bracing for further bad weather, as a tropical low-pressure system has gained strength and turned into typhoon Sonca.

Maximum rainfall is predicted at up to 800 mm.

In Thua Thien-Hue province, the provincial People’s Committee held an urgent meeting on Friday, with preparations discussed for heavy rain and potential flooding.

Chairman of the committee Nguyen Van Phuong ordered the education and training department to allow all students living in low-lying areas to stay at home on Friday afternoon and all students in the province will be allowed to stay at home from Saturday.

He also told the agencies to closely monitor developments of the storm, ensure safety for offshore vessels, and plan food and necessities for people living in high-risk areas if they are isolated by floods and landslides.

People living in high-risk areas could be evacuated if necessary, he added.

In Quang Nam province, Le Tri Thanh, Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee, ordered agencies on Friday to be ready to cope with the typhoon.

The agencies have to take measures to ensure safety for offshore vessels and residents during torrential rain, flash floods and landslides, he said.

The management unit of the reservoir for irrigation and hydroelectricity has been told to be on duty 24 hours a day; monitor and promptly handle incidents; and regularly report to superior management agencies, he said.

In Quang Ngai province, local rescue forces on Friday morning called off the search for a missing engineer at Ka Tinh 1 Hydropower Plant in Tra Lam commune, Tra Bong district, due to the severe weather.

The engineer was reported missing after a landslide destroyed an electricity generating unit of the plant on Monday.

Deputy chairman the district people's committee Tran Van Suong said that after four days of searching, the rescuers found the man's motorbike in a stream, about 200 m from the scene of the landslide.

In Gia Lai province, the provincial People’s Committee has requested agencies to focus on directing and deploying measures to prepare for the coming severe weather system.

Investors and owners of local reservoirs have to ensure the safety of local people and the works in downstream areas. They must provide information to the authorities and people in downstream areas before releasing water.

Tropical low-pressure system

The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting warned that by 1 p.m. Friday the typhoon was about 250 km southeast of Danang-Quang Nam. The strongest winds near its eye reached about 62-74 km per hour.

It is moving northwest at a speed of about 15 km per hour.

The typhoon is predicted to make landfall in Da Nang-Quang Nam at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Due to the typhoon, the northwest part of the East Sea has experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Waves are about 3-5 m in height in the middle of the East Sea, 4-6 m in the northern part of the East Sea; and 2-4 m in the sea from Quang Ngai province to Binh Thuan province.

Coastal provinces from Thua Thien-Hue province to Binh Dinh province should be on alert for flooding in low-lying areas and coastal erosion.

Flash floods and landslides are forecast in low-lying, mountainous areas while flooding is likely to happen in urban areas from Quang Binh province to Khanh Hoa, Kon Tum, Gia Lai and Dak Lak provinces.