Northern Vietnam is preparing to respond to Typhoon No. 3.

Not taking the dangerous natural disaster lightly, by late afternoon on July 21, the entire northern and north-central regions of Vietnam had mobilized all resources and were basically ready to respond to typhoon number 3 making landfall.

From noon to late afternoon on July 21st, Hanoi and many other areas in northern Vietnam experienced heavy rain. From around 4 PM, major roads leading to the outskirts of Hanoi began to experience minor traffic congestion as people wearing raincoats hurriedly left their workplaces to return home to avoid the storm. The atmosphere was urgent, but not chaotic.

Satellite image at 7:45 PM on July 21st: A large cloud cluster covers the Gulf of Tonkin and northern Vietnam. Source: GFS

At this time, the storm's center is still outside the Gulf of Tonkin (forecast indicates it will only make landfall around noon on July 22), but Quang Ninh, Hai Phong , Ninh Binh, etc., are already experiencing heavy rain and increasingly strong winds.

In the Cat Hai special zone (Hai Phong City), forces are assisting residents in reinforcing their houses and moving and evacuating to safe shelters to avoid the storm. Photo: HAIPHONGONLINE

On the afternoon of July 21st, Mr. Bui Xuan Hai, Deputy Director of the Department of Construction of Hai Phong City, stated that the locality had requested many ferry terminals to cease operations. Bridges such as Hoang Van Thu, Dinh Vu - Cat Hai, Kien, and Binh have gradually restricted vehicles and pedestrians during strong winds.

The Department of Agriculture and Environment of Hai Phong City reported moderate to heavy rain since noon on July 21st. The Hai Phong City Military Command and Police Department mobilized more than 35,400 people to assist residents in avoiding the storm. Hai Phong City leaders established a Zalo group to direct storm response with 114 chairmen of communes, wards, special zones, and departments.

Evacuation forces are moving residents in the Cat Hai special zone (Hai Phong City) away from dangerous areas as the storm's center is predicted to make landfall. Photo: CTV

Later that same day, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment issued a document requesting provinces and cities with ships operating in the Gulf of Tonkin to mobilize forces to forcibly bring the vessels back to shore. A total of six localities issued a ban on sailing: Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that along the coastal strip from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh, more than 29,000 fish cages, nearly 4,000 watchtowers, and nearly 150,000 hectares of aquaculture farms are at risk of being affected. Local authorities have requested the relocation of all fish cages and watchtowers to safe areas starting from July 21st.

On July 21, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha led a working group to direct the response to the strong storm and inspect the preparations for the "four on-the-spot" response.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha inspected storm prevention and control efforts against Typhoon Wipha (Typhoon No. 3) at Ngoc Hai fishing port (Do Son ward, Hai Phong city) on July 21.

The Deputy Prime Minister inspected Ngoc Hai fishing port in Do Son ward (Hai Phong city). 100% of the vessels there have been moved to safe shelters. The total number of tourists staying overnight is 1,335, including 55 foreign visitors. The Hai Phong City People's Committee reported that more than 6,600 households with over 19,700 people are in areas at risk of landslides. Nearly 280 tourists remain in Cat Hai special economic zone.

Officers and soldiers of the Vinh Thuc Island Company (Quang Ninh province) assist local people in reinforcing their houses before typhoon No. 3. Photo: VOV

On the same day, in Quang Ninh province, while forces continued their search for victims of the Green Bay 58 tourist boat sinking, other units raced to respond to the storm. The Co To Special Economic Zone was in the eye of the storm.

The military is helping residents of Vinh Thuc Island (Quang Ninh province) reinforce and protect their homes in preparation for Typhoon No. 3. Photo: VOV

In Thanh Lan commune (Co To Special Economic Zone), ships have returned to shore to take shelter from the storm. The Co To Special Economic Zone organized 44 ferry trips, transporting more than 8,800 passengers from the island back to the mainland. Island residents have cleaned up their shops, removed signs, and reinforced their houses. Police and border guards assisted in trimming trees and securing roofs.

Residents evacuate shops and businesses to avoid the storm on Co To Island. Photo: COTOONLINE

Tourists are leaving Co To Island (Quang Ninh province) to avoid Typhoon No. 3.

Responding decisively to Typhoon No. 3

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh continued to sign Official Dispatch No. 117, requesting ministries, agencies, and localities to urgently implement response measures. Accordingly, the chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces must ensure the safety of ships and boats, and not allow people to remain on board. The Prime Minister assigned specific teams to support each locality in responding to the storm: the Ministry of National Defense in Quang Ninh province, the Ministry of Public Security in Hai Phong city, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Ninh Binh province, the Ministry of Construction in Hung Yen province, etc.

Airlines cancel flights, shipping companies suspend cargo deliveries.

On July 21st, many airlines delayed or canceled flights due to the impact of Typhoon No. 3. Vietnam Airlines canceled 5 flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Hai Phong and 2 flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Con Dao. Pacific Airlines canceled 2 flights and departed 2 flights early. VietjetAir temporarily suspended 8 flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Quang Ninh and Hai Phong, and diverted 2 flights to Seoul.

The Vietnam Civil Aviation Authority has requested close monitoring of developments and adjustments to flight schedules. The Vietnam Maritime and Inland Waterways Authority has reported that many ports in Hai Phong and Quang Ninh have temporarily suspended cargo handling. The Vietnam Maritime Electronic Information Company has issued storm warnings to allow ships to proactively seek shelter.

Ministries, departments, and localities are still urgently and actively implementing storm prevention and control measures amidst increasingly heavy rain and stronger winds…

BICH QUYEN - PHAN THAO - VAN PHUC - DO TRUNG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/mien-bac-san-ready-to-respond-to-bao-so-3-post804772.html