Four Vietnamese airports will be in the path of typhoon Yagi

Four airports in Vietnam have been warned that they could be hit by storm Yagi, which is strengthening on the East Sea.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV), the airports on the list are Van Don in Quang Ninh, Cat Bi in Haiphong, Noi Bai in Hanoi, and Tho Xuan in Thanh Hoa.

Vinh Airport in Nghe An and Dien Bien Airport in Dien Bien Province would face heavy rain and strong gusts of wind as a result of the typhoon's impact. 

Van Don International Airport in the northern province of Quang Ninh makes preparations for Typhoon Yagi. Photo: Hanoimoi

The CAAV warned that Typhoon Yagi will affect Van Don and Cat Bi airports from the night of September 6 to the morning of September 7. Visibility may be reduced to one kilometer due to torrential rains and strong winds.

On September 5, Van Don International Airport secured the control tower, carefully inspected equipment, and moved potentially affected items to safe locations.

Airports and airlines have been urged to be up to date on storm information immediately, the CAAV stressed.

The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting (NCHMF) has outlined two potential trajectory scenarios for Typhoon Yagi, the third tropical storm of 2024. Both scenarios assume heavy rainfall with a significant risk of flash floods, landslides, especially in mountainous areas, and urban flooding.

Yagi is forecast to strengthen further and could possibly reach super typhoon status before making landfall. In such a case, all storm prevention and response plans will have to be revised, said Mai Van Khiem, Director of the NCHMF. He noted that international forecasts agree with Vietnam's assessment that Yagi is a very powerful storm.

"Typhoon Yagi will make landfall in the coastal areas from Quang Ninh Province to Ninh Binh on the evening of September 7. At present, the storm is moving westward at a speed of 10-15km/h and is forecast to intensify further, peaking at force 15 (165-185km/h) with gusts up to force 17," Khiem added.

He emphasized that if Yagi intensifies to strength 16, the super typhoon status, all storm prevention and response plans will need to be updated as the disaster risk level will rise to level 5.

Typhoon Yagi's predicted path. Source: The NCHMF

On September 5, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh also called for accelerated efforts to respond to the approach of Typhoon Yagi.

The government leader noted that Yagi has strengthened into a super typhoon and is forecast to make direct landfall in the Gulf of Tonkin from September 6. It will directly hit the mainland in the northeastern and north-central regions from the night of September 6, triggering strong winds, big waves and widespread downpours.

In view of Yagi's high intensity, considerable risks, and complicated developments, the Prime Minister urged all localities to continue to carry out drastic, timely, and effective high-level response measures to ensure the safety of people's lives, especially children and vulnerable groups.

"The focus must be on ensuring the safety of people, ships and vehicles operating at sea, especially in the Gulf of Tonkin and coastal areas from central Ha Tinh province northward," Chinh said.

He also asked local leaders to pre-position personnel and equipment in vulnerable locations to be ready for any eventuality.

They will be held accountable for any slow implementation of response measures resulting in heavy human and property losses, he said. Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has been tasked with giving direct instructions to ministries and localities on how to respond to the storm and its aftermath.