LookAtVietnam – Storm Parma reached the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf yesterday evening, with gusts of up to 102km/h recorded.

Photo: NCHMF

The National Centre for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting said the storm was travelling at a speed of 15km/h and would be just 70km east of provinces stretching from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh at 1pm today afternoon, October 13.

The storm is expected to move westwards and downgrade to a tropical low by tomorrow, with wind speeds dropping to 49km/h and gusts to 74km/h.

The tropical low pressure was forecast to die out over the central areas of Laos by Thursday after hovering around the Vietnamese border.

Gusts of up to 88km/h could hit the western region of the northern part of East Sea, while gusts of 102km/h would occur in the Bac Bo Gulf, the centre warned, adding that the sea would be choppy.

The provinces stretching from Quang Ninh to Nghe An were warned that high tide levels would rise by between two and four metres. Mountainous areas were told to watch out for landslides, while low-lying areas might be affected by flooding.

The eastern region of the Hong (Red) River Delta and the central provinces would see heavy rain, the centre said.

Boats-operating offshore were asked not to enter the northern part of the 15 latitude.

The National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control yesterday sent an official dispatch to authorities in the provinces and cities likely to be affected by the storm.

The committee urged them to keep local fishermen informed about the storm’s developments.

It also asked central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien-Hue city to make evacuation plans for residents in low-lying areas.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News