Viet Nam prepares for worst scenario as super typhoon Ragasa is heading towards Northern coast

Pham tasked Chairpersons of coastal localities from Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa to develop evacuation plans before the super storm reach the mainland while ensuring safety for fishermen and for dams and reservoirs.

By 1:00pm on Tuesday, super typhoon Ragasa had maximum sustained winds of 184–221 km/h, with gusts exceeding that level, and is moving west-northwest at about 20 km/h, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting reported.

From Wednesday, gales of up to force 14 are expected in the northern part of the East Sea, with waves rising above 10 metres.

By Wednesday evening, the Gulf of Tonkin will face storm-force winds of up to force 12 and waves of four to six metres.

Onshore, winds will strengthen in Quang Ninh to Thanh Hoa provinces from Thursday morning, reaching force 10 in some areas, with the wider northeast also experiencing strong gusts. Rainfall of 100–250 millimetres is forecast across the northern region, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces, with some localities exceeding 400 millimetres. Authorities warn of widespread flooding, flash floods and landslides.

Meteorologists also caution of severe thunderstorms, tornadoes and violent squalls both before and during the typhoon's landfall./.