Thang, who is also permanent deputy head of the CentralSteering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, askedministries, agencies and localities to closely watch the movement of the stormand alert vessels to seek shelters or sail out of dangerous areas.
The storm is likely to make landfall from the centralprovince of Thanh Hoa to Ha Tinh on the July 16 evening and July 17 morning,causing downpour in the north and north central regions.
The provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh were urgedto evacuate residents to higher places and ensure the safety of wharves andtourist areas before 5pm on July 16.
The media must update the latest movement of the storm andpopularise skills to respond to the storm as guided by the committee.
According to the National Hydro-meteorological ForecastingCentre, the storm was located nearly 370km east-southeast of Thanh Hoa - HaTinh waters at 10am on July 16, with wind speed reaching 75-90km per hour.
In the next 12-24 hours, it will be moving north-northwestat a speed of around 20km per hour. By 10 pm on July 16, the storm will stay inthe waters of Thanh Hoa and Ha Tinh provinces.
In the next 24-48 hours, the storm will continue moving inthe north-northwest direction at a speed of 15-20km per hour, hitting themainland of the two central provinces and weakening into a tropical lowpressure.
Landslide and inundation are likely to hit the provinces ofLai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Hoa Binh, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang,Thai Nguyen, Bac Can, Cao Bang, Lang Son, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and HaTinh.
Flooding is also forecast in urban areas in Ha Noi, HaiPhong, Thai Binh, Nam Dinh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh.-VNA