Quang Ninh bans vessels from heading to sea as storm Maon approaches

Authorities from Quang Ninh to Nghe An are putting out warnings for vessels to return to safety and mountainous regions to be wary of floods and landslides as storm Maon approaches.

Northern Vietnam's Quang Ninh Province, home to world-famous Ha Long Bay, would be the first to feel the impacts of storm Maon, the third storm to appear in the East Sea this year. From 12 p.m. Thursday, authorities have stopped vessels from going out to sea or stay out overnight. Over 400 tourist ships, 98 transport ships and 6,200 fishing vessels have also been told to return to port.

Authorities said around 3,600 tourists, including 1,500 on different islands, have received warnings regarding the storm and its movement and have been returning to shore since Thursday morning. For those who decide to remain on these islands, tourism businesses have been instructed to provide them shelter.

Mountainous districts like Binh Lieu, Ba Che, Hai Ha, Dam Ha, Mong Cai, Ha Long and Cam Pha have also prepared response plans for downpours and landslides that may accompany the storm.

At 1 p.m. Thursday, the storm lay centered 250 km to the east-northeast of Quang Ninh's Mong Cai Town which borders China. Within the next 24 hours, the storm is forecast to move west and devolve into a tropical depression, then a low-pressure area over mountainous regions in the north, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Since Wednesday night, coastal localities have launched flares at 14 different locations to recall vessels to shelter. Regions from Quang Ninh to Nghe An in the north central region have instructed over 33,400 vessels, carrying over 11,000 people, in the Gulf of Tonkin to return to safety, according to the National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

A total 135,000 people are now living in areas at high risk of flooding and landslides, authorities said.

Over 2,000 locations are prone to erosion, especially in Lao Cai, Tuyen Quang, Dien Bien and Lai Chau Provinces. Authorities have issued warnings and deployed personnel to be stationed in such areas.

Due to the effects of storm Maon, from Thursday afternoon to Friday night, northern Vietnam would see rain levels between 100-250 millimeters, Thanh Hoa at 50-100 millimeters and Hanoi at 100-180 millimeters. Inundations should be expected in multiple locations.