VietNamNet Bridge – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to provide the most correct and timely forecasts to help localities and people effectively carry out preventive measures against storm Dianmu.

Ha Noi sees heavy rain and strong wind yesterday evening under the influence of the storm Dianmu. — Photo: VNS

The storm, the third of this year, is due to hit the northern region from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa provinces today.

During his visit yesterday, PM Phuc asked the centre to expand international co-operation and collect different forecast resources from other countries like the US, Japan and China to improve the accuracy of its service.

All meetings at both central and local levels should be halted from today to focus on dealing with the storm to protect lives and assets, he said, which will require preparations for the evacuation of residents and the shoring up of breached dykes in coastal localities.

The Government leader asked ministries, agencies and localities to carry out measures to counter flooding and landslides to protect people’s lives – the most important target in disaster prevention and control.

They were also requested to avoid complacency and have plans on food, medicine and environmental sanitation when the storm is over.

Yesterday, Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue visited the northern port city of Hai Phong and Quang Ninh Province, Deputy PM Trinh Dinh Dung toured northern Nam Dinh and Thai Binh provinces while Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam worked with Ninh Binh Province’s authorities to inspect preparations to cope with storm Dianmu in these localities.

The localities were requested to call upon all ships operating at sea to return to the mainland or seek safe shelter.

More efforts should be taken to evacuate residents from areas outside sea dykes and prevent weak dyke sections from breaking up.

The storm, by 4pm yesterday, was in China’s Leizhou Peninsula, moving west at 20km per hour and was predicted to gain strength before making landfall in Viet Nam, according to the National Centre of Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

By 5pm, there were more than 2,500 ships from Hai Phong City and 300 ships from Nam Dinh Province operating at sea.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, torrential rains began in the entire northern and northern central regions from yesterday afternoon.

Stay well-prepared

Localities in tropical storm Dianmu’s path have hurriedly made preparations to minimise damage from the storm.

In Quang Ninh Province, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long organised an urgent meeting to direct local agencies to take measures to cope with the storm yesterday morning.

“The first task is ensuring safety for local residents,” he said.

Long ordered all offshore vessels to be informed about the storm’s developments so that they could seek safe anchorage and all tourism vessels on Ha Long Bay must cease operations before 1pm today.

He directed the head of Co To Island District to take actions to keep islanders and nine tourists stranded there safe.

Hoang Ba Nam, Party Secretary of the People’s Committee of the island district, said it had prohibited vessels from sailing to the island from Wednesday afternoon, and had stored food for local residents and tourists.

In Ninh Binh Province, the local administration started to evacuate residents living in areas near Bình Minh II Dyke and people residing in areas with high risks of landslide. The evacuation was set to be finished before 8pm today.

The administration had posted more workers on duty to keep dykes and reservoirs safe during the storm.

The Committee on Natural Disasters Prevention and Control of northern mountainous Dien Bien Province yesterday directed districts to review locations with high risks of flash floods and landslides then quickly evacuating residents.

In Nam Dinh Province, chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Pham Dinh Nghi requested all local units to prepare for the storm.

Authorised agencies would help residents reinforce houses and farms to cope with the storm, he said.

In Thai Binh Province, the provincial People’s Committee decided to open drainages to reduce water levels in rivers before the storm. By 7am yesterday, the province had evacuated 360 residents to safety.

PM Phuc directed the Ministry of Industry and Trade to ensure safety for hydro-power reservoirs and the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Public Security, the National Committee on Search and Rescue were assigned to be ready to support localities in emergencies.

Heads of People’s Committee of localities were told to make plans to allow students off school when the storm made landfall.

The forecasting centre put northern mountainous provinces, encompassing Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Son La, Ha Giang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai on high alert of flash floods and landslides, while alerting provinces in the northern delta and central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Nghe An and Ha Tinh of floods.

VNS