VOV.VN - Super typhoon Rai, after pounding the Philippines and entering the East Sea, has weakened a bit but is expected to remain a powerful typhoon and head toward the central coast of Vietnam.
At 04am on December 18 the typhoon was centred 250km off the Song Tu Tay island to the east, packing winds of between 150-165kph near its centre.
In the next 24 hours, Rai will move fast toward the central coast of Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa at a speed of 20-25kph.
It is forecast to sustain its winds when it moves closer to Vietnam on December 19, unleashing a damaging deluge across central coastal provinces.
The powerful storm is predicted to suddenly change its course to the north by late December 19, churn along the central coast on December 20 and again move far from the northern coast toward the East Sea.
Given the storm’s intensity and damaging possibility, central coastal localities have banned fishing vessels from setting sail. They have also formulated plans to evacuate approximately 240,000 people from low-lying areas to safe areas.
Rai earlier slammed into the Philippines, leaving at least 12 dead, displacing more than 300,000 people and bringing down power transmission lines with five million people living without power.
