Thailand’s Meteorological Department reported today that tropical storm Noul is gaining strength and is expected to turn into a typhoon as it makes landfall in central Vietnam around noon tomorrow.
At about 4am this morning, Noul was still a level-3 storm, with its eye about 600 kilometres to the southeast of the Vietnamese town of Danang, packing wind speeds of 80kph at its centre.
In Vietnam, the Ministry of National Defense has called for the mobilization of more than 300,000 people, including soldiers, police and civilian volunteers, to assist residents in storm-hit areas.
The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention said it is ready to evacuate 107,000 families, or about 548,000 people, across the central coastal provinces.
Weather forecasting centres in the US, Japan and Hong Kong predict that tropical storm Noul will make landfall along Vietnam’s central coast on Friday afternoon, with maximum wind speeds of 130kph.
From Thursday afternoon until Friday, several central provinces will be hit by heavy rainfall of 300-400mm a day.
The approaching storm, compounded by the strengthening southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, will bring heavy to very heavy rain to Thailand’s northern, northeastern, central, western and southern regions, according to the Thai Met Office.
On Friday, the Met Office predicted heavy to very heavy rains in the northeastern provinces of Loei, Nong Bua Lamphu, Udon Thani, Nong Khai, Bung Karn, Muk Dahan, Sakhon Nakhon, Kalasin, Maha Sarakham, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Nakhon Ratchasima, Buri Ram, Surin, Si Sa Ket, Ubon Ratchathani, Amnat Charoen, Yasothon and Roi-et, Prachin Buri, Sa Kaew, Chon Buri, Rayong, Trat and Chanthaburi, Ranong, Phang-nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun.
On Saturday, several northern provinces will experience heavy to very heavy rain. These include Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Phayao, Nan, Uttradit, Phitsanuloke, Phetchabun, Phichit, Sukhothai and Tak.
Bangkok and other central provinces, such as Kanchanaburi, Uthai Thani, Chainat, Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri and Saraburi, as well as the southern provinces of Phetchaburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Chumpon, Ranong, Phang-nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun, will also be hit by heavy rain. Several northeastern provinces will also experience heavy rain for a second day.
Heavy rain is also forecast for Sunday, but fewer provinces will be affected.
