The projected path of Storm Haiyan (Credit: NCHMF)
Nhan Dan Online – Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest tropical storms ever observed, is moving towards the East Sea at a fast pace after making landfall in the Philippines in the early morning of November 8.
According to the Vietnam National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), the storm is expected to affect central coastal provinces from Thua Thien – Hue to Binh Dinh in the next 48 hours.
In its latest warnings, the NCHMF revealed that at 7 am this morning the storm was located at 11 degrees north latitude and 124.8 degrees east longitude in the Philippines’ central region, with maximum winds of over 221kph near its centre.
In the next 24 hours, Haiyan is expected to move rapidly between west and west-northwest at a speed of about 35kph. By 7 am on November 9, the storm will be located at 12.8 degrees north latitude and 115.6 degrees east longitude, 270km east-northeast from Song Tu Tay Island in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, with sustained winds of 184-221kph near its eye.
In the subsequent 24 to 48 hours, Haiyan will continue to move quickly westward at 30-35kph. By 7 am on November 10, the storm will have reached the coast of Thua Thien Hue – Binh Dinh province with winds gusting between 167-201kph near its eye.
To deal with the complicated developments of the storm, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has sent an urgent telegraph to coastal localities from Thanh Hoa to Ca Mau and relevant ministries and agencies, ordering the implementation of necessary measures to cope with the storm.
The PM urged authorities to keep a close eye on the storm’s development and to contact vessels operating in dangerous areas to advise that they seek safe harbour.
Coastal provinces from Thanh Hoa to Binh Dinh were urged to direct fishing boats to return to their anchorage.
Relevant ministries and agencies were asked to prepare for evacuations and ensure the safety of fishermen. They were also asked to safeguard dykes, dams and irrigation system, and to be ready for search and rescue operations.
Meteorological agencies warn that Haiyan could be the strongest storm of the last ten years.
Meanwhile, due to the impact of the torrential rainfall of the recent tropical depression, water levels in rivers from Quang Tri to Ninh Thuan provinces and in the Central Highlands region are rising very rapidly. Meteorological agencies warned of the risk of landslides in the mountainous areas and flooding in low-lying regions.
Đăng ký: VietNam News
