This year’s 12^_th typhoon, internationally called Damrey, which is forecasted to hit the central and southern regions, has been strengthened and it is moving toward the west, according to National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.

The movement of storm Damrey. — Photo National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting

At 7.00am on Friday, the storm was some 450km off the coast of the Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces to the east.  The strongest wind power near the storm’s eye has reached level 11 and 12 out of 18 (100-135kph), with a gust of up to level 15 (167-183kph).

Mr Tran Quang Hoai, the Director of the General Department for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, said that the storm’s movement is very complicated and it will cause heavy rain from the central province of Quang Tri to Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan provinces, including Da Nang.

At a speed of 20kph, the storm is predicted to touch the mainland of the central and southern regions by early Saturday morning.  The strongest wind speed at its eye will reach 130kph (level 12) when it comes to the mainland.

The storm will reach the strongest level 12 (of 18) when it is 100km from the shore.  Along with impacts of a cold wave, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa and Ninh Thuan provinces will have a wind power at the strongest level 10- 11 (90-100kph), the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said.

Since Friday afternoon, the sea from Quang Ngai Province to Binh Thuan Province, including Ly Son and Phu Quy islands, will have a wind power of level 7- 9 (50-88km per hour).

From Friday night until Sunday morning, heavy, continuous rain is forecasted from Ninh Thuan Province to Da Nang.  When Damrey moves to the area bordering with Cambodia, the rain will touch Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Ha Tinh provinces.

The provinces from Ha Tinh to Binh Thuan, Dong Nai and the Central Highlands region have been warned of rising water levels and floods in rivers.

About 40 boats with a total of more than 300 fishermen of Khanh Hoa and Binh Dinh provinces are in the risk-prone areas.  Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong, asked ministries, sectors and localities to asked boats to move out of dangerous areas.

He ordered localities to ban fishing boats from going offshore while reviewing reservoirs.

“Hydropower reservoirs must be operated following procedures and at the right time. The key reservoirs must be supervised closely to avoid any untoward incident,” he said.

According to Khanh Hoa Province’s authorities, the province has 183 out of 885 fishing boats catching fish offshore. The crew of these boats have been updated about the storm.  The province has issued a ban against fishing offshore since 6.00pm on Thursday and all tourism activities on islands..

The province has also ordered the evacuation of over 1,300 residents living in lowland and risk-prone areas before 4.00 pm on Friday.

Worker missing in Binh Dinh

A female employee of a local irrigation company went missing after a flood hit the central Binh Dinh Province.

While she was working at the Thanh Hoa embankment dam on Thursday afternoon, the victim, Nguyen Thi Thu Tam, slipped and was washed away by the flood, confirmed a leader of Binh Dinh Irrigation Works Ltd Co on Friday morning.

A witness said at 3.00pm on Thursday, the high flood along with a large amount of garbage overflowed into the Thanh Hoa dam (An Nhon Town), causing damage to the dam. So Tam went to the dam area to clear the garbage.

Receiving the information, the irrigation factory No 4 of the Binh Dinh Irrigation Works Ltd Co mobilised workers in the area to open the flow and aid the search operations.

Due to the swirling flood, until Friday morning, rescue forces had not yet found the victim.

(Source: VNS/ DA NANG Today)