Heavy rains and flooding have isolated thousands of people in the north-central province of Ha Tinh.

Several north-central communes are completely isolated as floods have downed all local transportation and communications infrastructure, while meteorologists predicted a new storm would hit the East Sea soon.

Le Thanh Hai, deputy director of the National Hydrometeorology and Forecast Center, said a tropical low that formed earlier in the East Sea had hit north-central provinces on Friday, causing downpours and flooding.

Heavy rains of up to 400 milliliters since Thursday have caused floods that killed six people in the central province of Nghe An and three in the neighboring Ha Tinh Province. One person in Nghe An is still listed as missing.

Meteorologists are now warning of a tropical low that strengthened into storm Ketsana near the Philippines early Saturday as it approached the East Sea.

The new storm was located 170 kilometers to the east of the Philippines’ Luzon Islands in the morning, with winds blowing at 62-74 kilometers an hour, according to the National Hydrometeorology and Forecast Center.

It is likely to move northwest at 20-25 kilometers an hour, entering the East Sea later on Saturday, strengthening along the way, the center said.

The center warned of strong winds and rough seas in the East Sea off the coast of Vietnam late Saturday.

Coastal provinces from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau have been told to prepare for even stronger winds as the storm combines with the monsoon.

The storm would be the ninth to hit the East Sea this year, according to the center.

Source: Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre