Storm Sinlaku likely to hit south-central Vietnam over weekend

At 7 am on Friday, the storm, with the international name Sinlaku, was centered 350 km east-southeast of Song Tu Tay Island, part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, packing winds of 62-74 kph and gusts of up to 102 kph in areas near the storm’s eye, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

The storm is now moving west-northwest at a speed of 25 kph and at 7 am on Saturday it will be about 300 km east of the coastal area between Binh Dinh and Khanh Hoa Provinces, with winds of up to 88 kph and squalls of 89-117 kph.

Due to Sinlaku the middle area of the East Sea, including the waters north of Truong Sa archipelago, will experience rough seas, winds of 62-88 kph and gusts of up to 117 kph from Friday morning.

During the next 24 hours, the storm will move in the same direction at a lower speed of 20 kph and make landfall on the central coast before weakening into a tropical depression, the center said.

At 7 am on Sunday, the storm will be located in the border area between Vietnam and Cambodia, with winds of less than 39 kph.

Due to the storm, the waters of the region between the central city of Da Nang and Ninh Thuan Province will be rough amid winds of 62-88 kph and squalls of up to 117 kph.

From the afternoon of Saturday, November 29, the region from the central province of Quang Ngai to the south-central province of Khanh Hoa will face winds of 74 kph and gusts of 102 kph.

From the night of November 29, heavy rains will affect the region from Da nang to Binh Thuan, and the Central Highlands area.

The Central Steering Board for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control on Thursday issued a message to its units in localities from the central city of Da Nang to the southernmost province of Ca Mau asking them to take all necessary measures to cope with the coming storm.

All vessels operating at sea should be kept well informed of the storm’s movements so that they can take safety measures in time, the board said.

The board also asked the ministries of Defense, Transport, Agriculture and Rural Development and Foreign Affairs, and the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to prepare action plans ahead of the storm.