Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong has asked agencies and localities to seriously follow directions of the Central Steering Committee on Disaster Prevention and Control on response to upcoming typhoon Vamco, Kinh te & Do thi reported.

Vamco is likely to gain strength and head toward the East Sea, internationally known as the South China Sea, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong speaks at the meeting. Photo: Kinhtedothi.vn

After sweeping across the Philippines during the middle of the week, Vamco is expected to move westward and could threaten central Vietnam by this weekend, potentially impacting Quang Tri province on November 15 with another round of strong winds and flooding rainfall, the center said.

Vamco is expected to enter the East Sea on November 12 after passing the Bicol Region-Quezon area, becoming the 13th storm to hit Vietnam this year, the NCHFM forecast.

During a meeting on November 12, Mr. Cuong also asked the Border Guard High Command to work closely with the Directorate of Fisheries, Fisheries Surveillance Force and localities to ensure the absolute safety at sea.

Fishing vessels in danger zones were also urged to take shelter in safe areas while localities must ensure the safety of households in areas prone to flash floods and landslides, especially in the provinces of Quang Binh and Phu Yen.

He also noted that relevant units should work with localities to keep a close watch on the developments of storms and tropical low pressures, and monitor the safety of reservoirs in the Central and Central Highlands regions to mitigate loss.

Mr. Cuong said that although the 13th storm is still far from the mainland, it is projected to be a big storm, which will make landfall over the on weekend and its intensity is determined by different factors, including tropical depression.

"Typhoon Vamco is still complicated, so it will be dangerous and catastrophic if residents in the central regions are not on the high alert," Mr. Cuong stressed.

Portions of central Vietnam received 1,270-2,540 mm of precipitations during last month which led to widespread and deadly flooding there. In October, the central region suffered from torrential rains, widespread flooding and landslides after being hit by four storms. At least 235 people were killed or went missing and almost 390,000 houses were inundated, according to the Vietnam Disaster Management Authority.