Typhoon Rammasun, the second tropical storm in the East Sea, is about 200km north off Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, packing sustained wind of up to 166 kilometres per hour.

The storm keeps moving in the direction between west-northwest and northwest at a speed of 20kph, according to the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre.

Intense rain will hit the northern and northern-central parts of the country from July 18 evening.

At 4:00 am on July 19, the eye of the storm will be 150km east off the northern coast, from Quang Ninh to Thai Binh provinces, with sustained wind of up to 149 kilometers an hour.

On July 20, the typhoon will make landfall on north-eastern provinces, bringing the strongest wind power of 74kph.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on July 17 asked m municipal and provincial authorities to take all precautions against the ferocious storm – which has claimed at least 40 lives in the Philippines.-VNA