A tropical storm is forecast to make landfall in the northeastern region of Vietnam on the evening of August 7, the sixth typhoon to do so this year.

Formed over the East Sea on August 6, the storm was seen 200km north of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa archipelago by 1pm the same day, creating gusts of up to 74km per hour.

In the next 24-48 hours, it will move northwest at a speed of 20-25km per hour.

To cope with the storm, the Central Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Control and the National Committee for Search and Rescue requested coastal cities and provinces in the north and central regions to stop fishing vessels from moving into the danger zone and take shelter as soon as possible.

In their request, search and rescue forces must be at the ready and the storm’s movements must be kept up to date.

By 6am on August 6, owners of over 41,400 fishing vessels and 200,515 fishermen operating between the northern port city of Quang Ninh and the central province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau received guidance to brace for the storm.-VNA