Tropical storm Nock-10 nears coastal areas

Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai on July 27 urged sea-going vessels to remain inshore as the Nock-10 tropical storm was approaching.

A dyke section in central Thanh Hoa Province's Quang Xuong District is upgraded to prepare for the flood and storm season. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Ha

Speaking at an urgent meeting of the National Flood and Storm Steering Committee, Hai told officials to ensure all sea-going vessels were kept informed of the storm's developments and advised where best to find shelter.
The Deputy PM also asked coastal authorities from northern Quang Ninh to central Quang Ngai provinces to take steps to protect aquaculture farms and fish cages and ensure that dyke systems were in good repair.
Local authorities have been told to ready rescue equipment and ensure there are sufficient food supplies in case of flooding in low-lying areas. He also said evacuation plans should be in place.
The National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Centre said that the third storm of the year reached the northern part of the East Sea last night.
Today, the storm was forecast to be located about 440km east-northeast of Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands before moving west-northwest at a speed of 20kph, the centre said.
"The storm is forecast to hit Vietnam and directly affect the northern region this weekend," said the centre's deputy director Le Thanh Hai.
"However, it is too early to know exactly what the storm will do as it can change directions many times. We need to follow its progress in the coming days."
Wind gusts were forecast to reach more than 93kph. Coastal areas from Binh Thuan to Ca Mau provinces are forecast to experience heavy downpours, rough seas and cyclones.
Initial reports from the National Flood and Storm Steering Committee and border guards' units in coastal cities and provinces stated that by July 27, more than 10,710 out of a total of 61,315 vessels had been informed about the storm's latest developments.
Upgrade
Meanwhile, the upgrade of dyke systems in the northern region was behind schedule and encroachments along the dyke corridors were common.
In Hanoi, encroachments and illegal sand exploitation has caused serious erosions along the dyke in Long Bien, Chuong My and Dan Phuong districts.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's chief inspector and head of the inspection group on dyke violations Pham Van Hien said examples of violations such as discarding waste along the river banks, encroaching for personal business purposes or building houses were easy to see in Hanoi.
Four ‘hot' spots were reported in Hai Ba Trung District, the lower section of Thang Long Bridge, Phu Xuyen District and along Thanh Tri Bridge, he said.
Figures from relevant authorities showed that more than 200 cases of violations were found along the city's 20 dyke routes during the first six months of this year, but only seven of which were fined.
The Ha Noi Flood and Storm Control and Dyke Management Department said it has urged localities to upgrade the dyke along Hong, Da and Duong rivers and complete the building of Dau Han and Huu Cau dykes in northern Bac Ninh Province.
Due to a restricted budget, northern Nam Dinh Province spent only VND2 billion (US$98,000) on dyke upgrades annually. Thus, the plan on improving local dyke system can't be completed this year.
The provincial department has upgraded 33km of dykes, with the plan scheduled to be completed by 2015.