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The storm is heading fast in a westerly direction with winds of up to 88 kilometers (50 miles) per hour.
At noon, it was around 330 kilometers to the east of Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces, said Hoang Duc Cuong, director of the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center.
The storm is expected to make landfall in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, more than 300 kilometers south of Hanoi.
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The trail of Son Tinh typhoon, forcast by Vietnam's Center for Hydrometeorology Forecast Central. |
As the storm is approaching at a time of rising tide, waves three to five meters high are likely, weather experts have said.
They have also predicted that northern mountainous provinces and central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh will be battered with heavy downpours until Saturday.
Nguyen Xuan Cuong, head of the Central Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said Wednesday that relevant agencies should take urgent measures to ensure safety of residents in storm-prone areas like Ha Tinh, Nghe An, Thai Binh and Nam Dinh provinces.
They have also been asked to stay in contact with fishing boats, guiding them to safe areas.
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Fishing boats settle on a street in Thanh Hoa on Wednesday. Photo by VnExpress/Le Hoang |
Son Tinh is the third storm formed in the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, this year. Between eight to 10 storms and tropical depressions are slated to hit the waters this year.
Several domestic airlines such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet Air announced cancellations and delays in flights to Thanh Hoa and Vinh. Extra flights will be arranged on Thursday for affected passengers, they said.
Passengers have been also advised to get updates on weather conditions and announcements from the carriers while making travel plans.
Vietnam was struck by a record-breaking number of 16 tropical storms in 2017 that left 389 people dead or missing and injured 668 others, mostly in northern and central regions. The General Statistics Office estimated damage at around VND60 trillion ($2.64 billion), 1.5 times the previous year’s figure.
Damrey, one of the most destructive storms last year, hit Vietnam in November and killed at least 106 people.
