Typhoon Matmo heading to northern Vietnam, Hanoi 'encourages' entities to allow working from home Monday

Typhoon Matmo is heading to Mong Cai in the northern province of Quang Ninh with wind speeds up to 149 km per hour, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

The typhoon, the 11th to enter the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) so far this year, is projected to reach mainland Vietnam early morning Monday, October 6.

It will move along the northern border causing heavy rain in mountainous and midland localities.

By the end of Tuesday, northern mountainous and midland regions are expected to receive 150-250 mm of rainfall, even exceeding 400 mm in some areas.

The northern delta and the north-central province of Thanh Hoa will experience 70-150 mm of rain, with some locations over 200 mm.

Hanoi is unlikely to be affected directly by the typhoon but will have rainfall between 70-120 mm until the end of Tuesday, with some areas receiving over 150 mm.

To respond to the typhoon, the northern city of Hai Phong and Hung Yen province have banned maritime activities starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday.

Quang Ninh province temporarily suspended permits for vessels to go offshore before 12 p.m. on Sunday and stopped issuing permits for sightseeing and overnight stays at sea from 8 a.m. the same day. Ninh Bình banned maritime activities from 6 a.m. on Sunday.

Hanoi authorities stated that they encourage agencies and organizations to arrange for officials, public employees, and workers to work from home on Monday, October 6 in the event of severe weather conditions. Depending on the developments of rain, storm, and flooding, schools may proactively suspend classes to ensure safety.

According to forecasts, the airports directly affected by typhoon Matmo include Van Don International Airport (Quang Ninh) and Cat Bi International Airport (Hai Phong) – which have been told to inspect infrastructure systems, communications networks, and radio stations, promptly detect and repair any damage, and ensure operational safety.

In addition, four other airports in the north and north-central region – namely Noi Bai (Hanoi), Tho Xuan (Thanh Hoa province), Vinh (Nghe An province) and Dien Bien (Dien Bien province) – should also proactively update information and be ready with response plans in case the storm develops unpredictably.

All units have been instructed to proactively implement measures for typhon and flood prevention, ensure proper drainage within airport areas, protect facilities, vehicles, and equipment, and timely restore passenger services after the typhoon.