In an urgent telegram dated December 2, Mr Dung ordered chairmen of the provincial People’s Committee from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau to instruct vessels remaining out at sea to take shelter or come ashore immediately.

The National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre was asked to closely cooperate with media agencies in providing news updates about the development of the typhoon.

The Ministry of Fisheries was ordered to coordinate with the Border Guards and local authorities to navigate vessels to safe areas, keep regular contact with vessels in the dangerous areas to carry out rescue work if necessary, and ask aquatic breeders to implement prevention measures.

The PM also asked rescue forces to be on duty around the clock to cope with emergencies.

After sweeping across the Philippines on December 1, Typhoon Durian weakened a little into a tropical storm, with winds near its centre gusting between 103-133km/h. In the next 24-48 hours, the storm is expected to move west and south-west and continue to blow over. By 10.00am on December 4, the storm is forecast to be about 130km east of the central coastline between Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa.

Central provincial authorities have informed vessel owners still out at sea about the movement of the storm and called on them to seek storm shelters.

At a meeting in Hanoi on December 2, the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control sent a working mission to assist the central coast region with prevention activities. The mission was led by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat.