Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on October 14 inspected preparations for tropical storm Nari, the 11th to hit Vietnam this year, in Tam Quan commune, Nui Thanh district, the central province of Quang Nam.

He asked local authorities to promptly evacuate residents from areas prone to landslides, call ships to find shelter and instruct locals to brace for the storm.

In central Thua Thien-Hue province the same day, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat urged local authorities to move all people in vulnerable areas of Phu Loc, Phu Vang, Phong Dien and Quang Dien districts to higher land, and closely follow the situation in the localities.

In preparation for storm Nari, the Quang Nam Department of Education and Training allowed students to miss school from October 14.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue People’s Committee Nguyen Van Cao has told managers of reservoirs and dykes to strictly follow coordination rules in water regulation to avoid inundating lowlands.

Authorised agencies of central Quang Binh province have been asked to stock up in food, medicine and essential goods for residents in at-risk areas.

All vessels of Quang Binh’s neighbouring province of Quang Tri have reportedly taken shelter while authorities have relocated people from vulnerable areas and instructed locals to ready themselves for the storm.

In central Da Nang city, 8,000 households with 42,000 people have been evacuated, while 1,800 vessels have anchored in safe places. The city has also let students take time off school as of noon on October 14.

Heavy and rough seas have caused two vessels to sink in the waters of Phu Quy island, Binh Thuan province. No human losses were reported.

According to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, by 16:00 on October 14, the storm was centred at 15.9 degrees north latitude, 110.3 degrees east longitude, about 200 kilometres east of Quang Tri – Quang Ngai coasts, and packing winds between 134 and 149 kilometres per hour.

In the next 24 hours, the storm is expected to intensify as it moves west at around 10-15 kilometres per hour.

Wutip, the 10th storm, caused losses totalling 11 trillion VND (517 million USD) in central coastal provinces last month. The storm killed 14 people and injured 225.-VNA