A tropical storm named Conson, which is raging off the central coast of the Philippines is forecast to gain strength and pound northern Vietnam with strong intensity in the coming days, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).

At 7:00 am on September 8, Conson was churning off the coast of the central region of the Philippines, packing winds of between 75-90 kilometers per hour (kph) near its eye, said the center.

The NCHMF added that in the next 24 hours, the storm is projected to move northwest into the East Sea at a speed of 10-15kph.

In the following 48-72 hours, Conson is forecast to retain its direction toward the northern coast of Vietnam and likely to become stronger, with winds gusting up to 120kph near its center.

The projected path of tropical storm Conson. Photo: NCHMF

The storm is expected to make landfall in Vietnam on September 13, causing rough seas and heavy rain, the NCHMF stressed, raising the disaster risk warning level in storm-prone areas.

Many places in the northern and central regions will see heavy rain in the coming days. Hanoi is expecting moderate and heavy rain, with very heavy rain and thunderstorms.

Moderate and heavy rain will occur in the provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Binh with total rainfall of 150-250mm per period, even over 300mm in several places.

Meanwhile, other areas in the northern region and provinces and cities from Quang Tri to Quang Ngai will suffer from showers and thunderstorms, with moderate to heavy rain with rainfall of 20-50mm/24 hours and more than 70mm/24 hours in some places.

In response to the powerful storm of Conson, the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has issued an emergency dispatch requiring northern provinces and cities of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Bac Kan, Cao Bang, and Thai Nguyen to prepare to evacuate nearly 260,000 local people in vulnerable areas.

In late August, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked ministries, sectors and localities to stay ready to respond to natural disasters as it is the peak time of storms and floods.

The Government leader requested the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and the National Committee for Disaster Response and Search and Rescue as well as ministries, sectors and localities to review and update disaster response plans.

Besides, it is essential to provide guidelines for the operation of reservoirs and the effective exploitation of water resources in order to actively respond to natural disasters, protect people's lives, and minimize losses, especially amidst the complicated evolution of the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to the NCHMF, natural disasters continue to develop complicatedly and unpredictably. From now until the year-end, seven to nine storms and tropical depressions are expected to be formed in the East Sea, of which three or four will have direct impacts on Vietnam’s mainland.