Storm Goni to batter central region with torrential downpour hinh anh 1Direction of Goni, the 10th storm to reach the East Sea this year (Photo: nchmf.gov.vn)

Hanoi (VNA) – Goni, the 10th storm to reach the East Sea this year, is forecast to make landfall in the central region, which was hit by a number of devastating storms and floods in October.

According to Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem, the storm entered the East Sea gusting up to 88 kilometres per hour around 30 hours it hit the Philippines with velocity of up to 183 kilometres. 

It will make landfall with wind speeds of 60-75 kilometres per hour, and there is a little chance for it to gain strength, he said.

From 1am on November 3 to 1am on November 4, the storm is 310 kilometres southeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, and moves westwards at 10 kilometres per hour.

For the next 24 hours, it will lay centred around 190 kilometres off the waters from Quang Ngai to Khanh Hoa provinces, with the strongest winds of up to 90 kilometres per hour.

From 1am on November 5 to 1am November 6, the storm is expected to move southwest, and weaken to a low tropical pressure zone.

Khiem said heavy rain will blanket the central region from November 4.

Provinces from Thua Thien-Hue to Phu Yen and north of the Central Highlands will see average rainfall of 100-200mm from November 4-6.

Provinces from Nghe An to Quang Tri will see average rainfall of 150-300 m from November 5 to 7. Flood warnings have been issued in river areas in provinces from Quang Nam to Quang Ngai.

At a meeting of Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on November 2, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Xuan Cuong said that Goni was a super typhoon that lost strength when entering the East Sea.

“It’s difficult to predict the storm's developments, however” he said, calling for close observation of the storm.

“We must prepare for the possibility of flash floods, landslides and damage to dams and reservoirs,” Cuong said./.
VNA