The super typhoon is forecast to directly hit Vietnam’s northern provinces on September 17 and 18, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHF).On September 13 afternoon, the center of Mangkhut is about 930 km from Luzon island (the Philippines) to the southeast, with the strongest winds of 240 km/h, equivalent to level 18 on the Vietnamese storm scale, NCHF said.
The eye of Mangkhut super storm at 6pm on September 13. Source: NCHMF
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After hitting the East Sea on September 15 noon, Mangkhut will maintain at level 16 and hit Leizhou Peninsula in the early morning of September 17, wind strength will reduce to 120 km/h, level 12 and continue to decline when hitting the mainland.
NCHMF’s Deputy General Director Le Thanh Hai said that both Vietnam’s forecast models and international general assessment indicated that there is 70-80% possibility that Mangkhut super typhoon will directly impact Vietnam. The typhoon will directly affect Vietnam’s northern provinces and Thanh Hoa, Nghe An on September 17. The southern edge of the storm can affect Ha Tinh, Quang Binh and Quang Tri provinces, according to the NCHF.
Mangkhut is forecast to cause tides of 4-6 meters high. It was necessary to pay careful attention to the sea dykes from Mong Cai to Nghe An. In addition, island areas, especially in the Northeast of Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, should be warned early to have plans for prevention and relocation.
Hai said that forecasting for Mangkhut’s path was relatively accurate but forecasting for the typhoon’s intensity still has certain limits. There are two possible scenarios: Mangkhut will hit to the north of the Tonkin Gulf or to the middle of the Tonkin Gulf.
Hanoi proposes traffic ban via Nhat Tan and Vinh Tuy bridges when Mangkhut hits mainland
Mr. Nguyen Van Huong, head of NCHF’s climate forecasting department, said that due to Mangkhut typhoon, heavy rain would be raging on September 17 -18 with a total of 400mm or more.
Hanoi is forecasted to be in the area affected by the storm with the average wind of level 8. With long bridges like Vinh Tuy, Nhat Tan, the city’s authority may consider banning people from traveling in the two days to ensure safety, said Huong.
He added that the ban on vehicles moving on national highways or bridges has been implemented by some localities. For example, when typhoons landed on Quang Ninh, the province’s authority would ban people and vehicles from passing through Bai Chay bridge. In 2017, Ha Tinh’s authority also banned the circulation of national highway No.1 through the province when the storm landed.
According to the Central Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention and Control, facing the threat of Mangkhut super typhoon, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung will chair the meeting with related ministries and branches to discuss the adaptation plan on September 14 afternoon.
