Northern provinces have conducted necessary preparations for Storm Utor, which has entered Guangdong province of China in the afternoon of August 14.

Quang Ninh province has inspected all ship shelters and dike systems, while calling all vessels operating at sea to return home to avoid the storm.

The province has also evacuated households in areas with high risk of landslide to safe places and reinforced houses.

On the afternoon of August 14, 1,242 vessels had returned home.

In Thai Nguyen province, the provincial Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Prevention asked all localities to actively apply measures to respond to the storm.

The province has directed all dike systems and prepare irrigation plans to ensure safety for basin areas. Rescue teams are also ready.

Thai Nguyen was seriously hit by the recent fifth and sixth storms. They claimed one lives and destroyed 350 houses in the locality, while flooding thousands of hectares of food crops, causing billions of VND in losses.

According to the National Hydro-Meteorological Forecast Centre, by 7pm on August 14, Storm Utor swept through the southwestern area of China ’s Guangdong province with winds of up to 133km per hour.

The storm is forecast to move northwest and weaken into a tropical low pressure front. Rains are forecast for Vietnam ’s northern provinces as from August 16, with northern and northeastern mountain provinces warned of heavy rain and landslide.-VNA