Today's Edition
Hanoi (dpa)
After killing 11 people in the Philippines, Tropical Storm Bualoi has lashed central Vietnamese provinces, causing flooding, landslides and airport closures, state media said on Sunday.
The storm, fuelled by warm seas and moving unusually fast, made landfall in central Vietnam on Sunday evening, earlier than previously predicted.
Packing maximum wind speeds of up to more than 130 kilometres per hour in the eyewall, the storm struck the coast just north of Vinh City in Nghe An province.
The outer bands of the storm, however, had already been causing flooding in central regions, with floods reported in the coastal city of Da Nang on Saturday.
Forecasters in Vietnam have warned that the storm could trigger flash floods, landslides and storm surges of up to two metres along the coast.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Nguyen Hoang Hiep told local media that wind speeds will reach up to 133 kilometres per hour, with gusts of nearly 150 kilometres per hour.
Local authorities banned vessels from going to sea before noon on Saturday; nearly 68,000 vessels were guided into safe harbours. Meanwhile, more than 240,000 soldiers are on standby, ready to react in the worst-hit areas.
Central provinces, including Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Quang Tri, have already been hit by torrential rain, isolating dozens of villages and causing flooding and numerous landslides in the region.
Four airports, including Da Nang International Airport, have halted flights on Sunday and Monday, with heavy rains forecast expected to bring a torrential 100-300 mm of rainfall across northern and central provinces until Tuesday.
