Typhoon Vamco strengthens, hits central coast early Nov. 15
VOV.VN - Typhoon Vamco gained strength early on November 14 on its way towards the central coast and is forecast to batter the region early on November 15, according to the National Centre of Hydro-meteorological Forecasting.
At 06.00am November 14, Vamco was located 370km off the Da Nang coast, packing winds of between 135 and 165kph with a gust of nearly 200kph.
In the next 12 to 24 hours, Vamco is expected to move west and north-west at a speed of 20kph and to be downgraded a little before making landfall along central coastal provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai early on November 15.
The typhoon will cause rough seas and heavy rain in the central region as of the afternoon on November 14. The area will experience heavy downpours with common rainfall of 250 mm or even more than 350 mm in several places.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) said Vamco, the 13th of its kind hitting the East Sea this year, is a “powerful and dangerous” storm which is likely to devastate a large area from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai provinces.
“It would cause huge damage if we are not well prepared,” warned MARD Minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong.
The Prime Minister issued a telegram, advising local residents to stay indoors during the height of the storm to avoid injury. He asked localities to be affected to evacuate people from low-lying areas and reinforce residents’ houses and public works to mitigate the consequences of the storm.
Hoang Phuc Lam, deputy director of the National Center for Hydro-meteorology Forecasting, warned fishermen absolutely not to set sail or move into Vamco-affected areas.
Vamco is the ninth storm that has hit the central region of Vietnam over more than a month. It has left more than 40 people dead when it swept through the Philippines three days ago.
