The storm named Podul entered the East Sea region this morning, becoming the fourth one to hit the region so far this year, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

The predicted movement of the storm

At 7am today, 28 August, the storm was at latitude 17°N and longitude 118°E, about 620km east of Viet Nam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago. The strongest wind speed of level 8 near its centre was between 60 kph and 75kph.

In the next 24 hours, the storm is forecast to move mainly west at a speed of around 30 km per hour, and it will become stronger.

As of 7am tomorrow, 29 August, it should be positioned at latitude 17°4’N and longitude 112°8’E, right at the Hoang Sa archipelago, and it is predicted to carry wind speeds of between 60 and 90kph.

The storm is forecast to lash through Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh provinces in the early morning of 31 August. After that, it will be weakened into a depression.

By 7am on 31 August, the depression’s position should be at latitude 19°8’N and longitude 104°7’E. The strongest wind speed near its centre will be at between 40 and 60kph.

Due to the effects of the storm, since early this morning, the northern part of the East Sea has experienced very strong winds at level 8/9, and very rough seas.

To prepare for the storm, the Central Steering Committees for Natural Disaster Mitigation and Control, and Search and Rescue, has asked the authorities of coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Phu Yen provinces, including Da Nang, to keep all fishing boats operating at sea well informed of its position, direction and movement. This will allow them to take the initiative to avoid dangerous areas or seek safe shelter from the storm. 

Offshore fishing boats in Da Nang are not being allowed to head out to sea, and relevant agencies are being asked to keep in close contact with boats at sea in order to handle any unexpected incidents.

Besides, the national Government leader has directed the affected localities to carry out measures to counter flooding and landslides to ensure the safety of their local residents.