A border guard officer (R) helps fishermen in Quang Tien ward of Sam Son town, the northern central province of Thanh Hoa, prepare for storm Bebinca (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – More than 600,000 peoplefrom the army, militia and military reserve are ready to be mobilised torespond to storm Bebinca, forecast to hit the mainland of Vietnam on the nightof August 16.
Nearly 3,000 vehicles of all kinds, includingships, canoes, automobiles and other specialised vehicles, have also beengeared up for the work.
The Ministry of National Defence has sent anurgent message requesting military units in storm-prone areas to closely followthe storm’s movement and get ready to send forces and vehicles to help localresidents cope with the storm.
They were also asked to coordinate with localauthorities to examine important dykes, embankments, reservoirs and dams, aswell as vulnerable areas, while being prepared to assist evacuating people to safe places.
Meanwhile, the border guard force of coastallocalities from northern Quang Ninh to central Quang Binh provinces have beenworking with local administrations to inform nearly 40,000 boats and over150,000 workers at sea about Bebinca and instruct them to take shelter.
The storm, the fourth appearing in the East Seathis year, passed the Leizhou Peninsular of China and entered the Tonkin Gulfon August 16.
At 1pm of August 16, its centre was at about19.9 degrees north and 107.8 degrees east, just above Bach Long Vi Island ofVietnam. It sustained wind speeds of up to 75-100km per hour, according to theNational Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
In the next 24 hours, Bebinca is predicted to movewestwards at about 10km per hour.
It will directly affect the coastal provincesfrom Quang Ninh to Nghe An on the night of August 16.
Later, the storm will move further into the mainlandand abate into a tropical depression whose centre will be at around 20.1degrees north and 105 degrees east, above the Vietnam-Laos border area, at 1pmof August 17.
As a result, heavy rains with average rainfallof 250 – 300mm are likely to occur in northern and northern central regionsfrom August 16 to August 18. Notably, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa provinces mayrecord a rainfall of up to 400 – 500mm.
The forecasting centre also warned about a highrisk of landslides and flash floods in mountainous areas along with inundationin low-lying and urban areas. –VNA
VNA
