Bebinca, the second tropical storm of the year, hit the East Sea on June 21 and is expected to bring heavy rains to the northern region of Vietnam on June 23, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting.
The storm was about 350 km northeast of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Archipelago at 7 pm June 21 with wind speeds in the storm's eye reaching 62-88 km per hour.
It has been forecast to move between north-west and western north-west, at a speed of about 15-20 km per hour and approach the Quang Ninh-Hai Phong coastal line in the afternoon of June 22.
A storm-warning has been sent out to 41,300 offshore fishing vessels, informing them of the storm's progress and enabling them to actively prepare, following an order from the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control.
Authorised agencies in provinces and cities were asked to instruct offshore boats to find shelter, especially those in the Tonkin Gulf and the northern part of the Hoang Sa Archipelago, before the weekend.
Due to the storm, rough seas are expected in the northern part of the East Sea.
Coastal areas from central Binh Thuan province to southern Ca Mau province are expected to also experience strong winds and rough waters. Le Thanh Hai, Deputy Director of the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorology Forecasting said that the storm would bring heavy rains in the northern provinces and cities on June 23.
Hai also added that the central provinces of Ha Tinh, Nghe An and Thanh Hoa should be prepared against landslides and flash floods on the same day. -VNA
