An urgent meeting was held on Dec. 26 to discuss ways of coping with a potential storm brewing over the East Sea and the monsoon cold spell.
A tropical low pressure area southeast of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago is forecast to cause strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas from Binh Dinh to Ca Mau provinces.
The National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre said the eye of the storm was moving southwest at a speed of 5 kilometres an hour.
At the meeting, the head of the National Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Cao Duc Phat, who doubles as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, instructed ministries, agencies and coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau and Kien Giang to take all measures necessary.
He also instructed the High Command of the Border Guard and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask China to allow Vietnamese fishing vessels to enter storm-shelters on Hainan island if necessary.
The High Command said more than 52,600 vessels and rafts with over 221,200 fishermen aboard were operating off the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf, Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos and other areas.
The command has assigned 136 vehicles and more than 1,700 officers for search and rescue work if necessary.
The National Committee for Search and Rescue has also urged coastal provinces to keep a close watch on the progress of the storm and the monsoon and inform vessels offshore.
It asked localities to spread news and information by mass telecommunications, to keep tight control on vessels and establish regular contact with offshore trawlers.
Meanwhile, the northern region is experiencing a bitter cold spell – and conditions are expected to get worse during the next few days.
Day temperatures in northwestern provinces are forecast to drop to between 10 to 13 degrees Celsius and down as far as 3 to 5 degrees at night.
The temperature in Hanoi is forecast to fall to 12-13 degree Celsius at night.
The cold spell has also hit the south-central region and up to 20mm of rain has also fallen./.
A tropical low pressure area southeast of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago is forecast to cause strong winds, heavy rain and rough seas from Binh Dinh to Ca Mau provinces.
The National Hydro-meteorological Forecast Centre said the eye of the storm was moving southwest at a speed of 5 kilometres an hour.
At the meeting, the head of the National Committee for Flood and Storm Control, Cao Duc Phat, who doubles as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, instructed ministries, agencies and coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Ca Mau and Kien Giang to take all measures necessary.
He also instructed the High Command of the Border Guard and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask China to allow Vietnamese fishing vessels to enter storm-shelters on Hainan island if necessary.
The High Command said more than 52,600 vessels and rafts with over 221,200 fishermen aboard were operating off the Bac Bo (Tonkin) Gulf, Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelagos and other areas.
The command has assigned 136 vehicles and more than 1,700 officers for search and rescue work if necessary.
The National Committee for Search and Rescue has also urged coastal provinces to keep a close watch on the progress of the storm and the monsoon and inform vessels offshore.
It asked localities to spread news and information by mass telecommunications, to keep tight control on vessels and establish regular contact with offshore trawlers.
Meanwhile, the northern region is experiencing a bitter cold spell – and conditions are expected to get worse during the next few days.
Day temperatures in northwestern provinces are forecast to drop to between 10 to 13 degrees Celsius and down as far as 3 to 5 degrees at night.
The temperature in Hanoi is forecast to fall to 12-13 degree Celsius at night.
The cold spell has also hit the south-central region and up to 20mm of rain has also fallen./.
