Noru heads toward central Vietnam, rain starts to fall

VOV.VN - Typhoon Noru, after pounding the Philippines, is roaring toward the central coast of Vietnam and is forecast to make landfall in the coming hours, according to the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

At 1pm on September 27, Noru was churning through the south-western part of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago, about 270km east of the central coast, with winds gusting 183kph near its centre.

In the next 12 to 24 hours, the super typhoon is forecast to move west at a speed of 20-25kph, lash central coastal provinces, and lose strength.

Noru, the most powerful storm in Vietnam in the past 20 years, is expected to make landfall in the early hours of September 28, with strong winds rattling the mainland for about 10-12 hours, said Mai Van Khiem, director of the National Centre for Hydro Meteorological Forecasting.

Rain started to fall in Quang Nam, Quang Ngai and Da Nang, while big waves continued to batter the central coast, reported VOV correspondents in the region.

Relevant forces and local people are now racing against time to reinforce public works and houses before the typhoon makes landfall.

Hundreds of thousands of local residents living in estuary, low-lying and mountainous areas have been ordered to move to higher ground.

Central coastal provinces have released a sea ban for fishing and tourist vessels. Local residents have been advised to stay indoors during the height of the typhoon. Several localities have temporarily shut schools for schoolchildren’s safety reasons.

In an urgent meeting on September 27, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested central localities to prioritise protecting people’s life and property and put relevant forces on standby.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam on September 27 also decided to temporarily suspend flight services at an additional five airports in the central region. Accordingly, Vinh, Dong Hoi, Tuy Hoa, Buon Ma Thuot, and Lien Khuong were ordered to stop flight services for 24 hours, starting at 12am on September 27.

Earlier, authorities announced the suspension of flight services from and to Da Nang, Phu Bai, Pleiku, Phu Cat and Chu Lai airports on September 27 – 28.  

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