As a powerful tropical storm is forecast to hit northeastern Vietnam tonight or early Wednesday, local authorities must evacuate all people in vulnerable areas to safe places before 5 pm today, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has ordered.

>> Typhoon Kalmaegi likely to hit northeastern Vietnam Wednesday The PM issued an urgent message to local authorities and concerned agencies Monday afternoon after the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned that Typhoon Kalmaegi is heading for the region. The storm will make landfall between 10 pm today and 5 am Wednesday, depending on its speed, said Hoang Duc Cuong, the director of the center. The PM directed that local governments should focus all efforts on coping with the typhoon to mitigate possible damage.

Non-vital meetings must be postponed so that local authorities have more time to coordinate efforts ahead of the coming storm, PM Dung said. Yesterday afternoon, Deputy PM Hoang Trung Hai chaired an online meeting with officials from 22 northern provinces to discuss steps to taken before and during the typhoon. All boats must be called back to shore or find a safe place to shelter, Hai said. By yesterday evening, nearly 82,000 boats had been informed of the typhoon’s approach so that they could take safety measures in time, the Central Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control reported. At 4 am Tuesday the typhoon was centered about 570 km east-southeast of the coast between Quang Ninh Province and Hai Phong City, packing winds of 118-149 kph and gusts of up to 201 kph, the center reported. It is moving west-northwest at 25-30 kph, and at 4 pm today, September 16, the storm will sit about 200 km east-southeast of the coastal region. It will continue in the same direction before making landfall in the northeastern region. The gulf of Tonkin is experiencing rough seas and winds of 88-117 km, which will increase to 201 kph in areas near the typhoon’s eye. Waves as high as 5 or 6 meters will be seen in the gulf, the center warned. Due to the typhoon, heavy rainstorms will occur in northern regions beginning this afternoon, and flashfloods and landslides are likely in mountainous areas, the agency added.

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