VietNamNet Bridge – The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue sent an announcement yesterday urging provincial and local authorities in northern and coastal provinces, ministries and agencies to prepare for coming cold weather.

The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue sent an announcement yesterday urging provincial and local authorities in northern and coastal provinces, ministries and agencies to prepare for coming cold weather.

They urged local authorities of the affected provinces to regularly provide up-to-date information about cold weather to media, to help local residents, particularly in remote and mountainous areas, actively cope with the low temperatures.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting, since Thursday, the weather in the North and north central provinces was getting colder, with the lowest temperature recorded at 13-16 degrees Celsius on the plains, and 5-8 degrees Celsius in the midland and mountainous areas. The temperature dropped to 5 degrees Celsius in some places.

The centre has warned that the northern provinces could suffer very low temperatures on Friday and Saturday.

Earlier on Thursday, areas of the coastal provinces of Ninh Thuan to Ca Mau also saw strong winds.

The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control urged the cities and provinces’ disaster prevention and control committees to prepare measures to cope with changes in the weather.

Students in affected mountainous provinces will be allowed to stay at home if the weather drops below 10 degree Celsius.

Local authorities were assigned to check and guide breeding households to ensure they had made adequate preparations, including storing foodstuff for cattle as the temperature would fall below 12 degrees Celsius, the announcement said.

Local residents and farmers should be warned about the cold weather to ensure the damage to cultivation and harvesting of crops is limited.

The coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Kien Giang were urged to closely monitor the development of strong winds and large waves.

Ship owners and vessels should receive announcements about the weather to ensure the safety of mariners and property. Medical teams and rescue forces and equipment were asked to be ready for deployment.

Viet Nam Television, Voice of Viet Nam, and other news agencies were required to increase the time allocated for broadcasting weather forecast information and raising public awareness on preventive measures for animals and crops.

Cities and provincial authorities will be on duty round-the-clock to regularly update and report information to the two national committees.

VNS