Via Voice of Vietnam, a reported posted at 7:35 p.m. local time: Typhoon Haiyan makes landfall in evening. Excerpt:
In the next 12 hours, the storm will be moving north-west at a speed of 30km and battering the Red river delta provinces.
At 04.00am on November 11, the storm will be sweeping across the north-eastern provinces, with winds gusting between 62-88kph.
It will then change its course and weaken further before heading towards China.
“The storm is forecast to strike the area between Thai Binh and Haiphong, sweep across Bac Giang, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh, and then change its direction towards China,” said Bui Minh Tang, director of the Central Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre.
Hanoi plans evacuations ahead of typhoon Haiyan
Leaders of the capital city have requested all districts draw up residential evacuation plans after typhoon Haiyan changed its direction and is forecast to strike the northern delta, including the city.
At an urgent meeting on November 10, weather experts said Haiyan will rip through Hanoi early on November 11, bringing heavy downpours to the capital.
With a rainfall of 200-300mm, severe flooding will inundate large parts of Ba Vi, My Duc, Chuong My, Phu Xuyen, Thanh Tri, Thanh Oai, and Me Linh districts.
Weather experts even warned these districts of landslides and dyke breach.
Nguyen The Thao, Chairman of the Municipal People’s Committee, asked the districts to put evacuation plans in place in case of emergency.
Top priority is given to protecting residents’ lives and their property, he said.
He asked municipally-run agency leaders to inspect prevention work in high-risk areas and deploy standby forces to work around the clock.
Districts vulnerable to severe flooding need to lower water levels at dams and lakes to ease flooding pressure on the inner areas, said Thao.
The municipal trade and healthcare sectors reported they have prepared 6 million packs of instant noodles, millions of litres of drinking water, and loads of medicine for people in possibly flooded areas.
