Director of the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting Mai Van Khiem said that on the evening of October 5, storm No. 11 entered the northeastern part of the Gulf of Tonkin with winds of category 12, gusting to category 15. As of 10 p.m. on October 5, the storm’s center was located at about 21.5 degrees North latitude and 109.1 degrees East longitude, over Beihai City in Guangxi Province, China.
At this time, the storm remained strong, with wind speeds of force 11–12 and moving at 20–25 kilometers per hour. The storm mostly moved west–northwest, heading deeper into Guangxi Province, China before approaching the northern border of Vietnam (Lang Son–Cao Bang area).
The National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting predicted that from the night of October 5 to noon on October 6, coastal areas from Quang Ninh to Hung Yen and Lang Son Province would experience increasing wind speeds of category 6–7, with areas near the storm’s center reaching category 8–9, gusting to category 11–12. Inland areas of northeastern Vietnam would experience winds of force 4–5, with some places reaching wind force 6 and gusting to force 7–8.
The Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention under the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reported that from the night of October 5 through October 7, the mountainous and midland areas of Northern Vietnam would experience widespread rainfall of 150mm to 250 mm, with some places exceeding 400 mm; the northern delta and Thanh Hoa Province would see rainfall of 70 mm to 150 mm, locally over 200 mm.
In order to prepare for the storm, border guard forces in affected provinces have notified and guided nearly 68,000 vessels with over 292,000 workers to take shelter safely. The provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hung Yen and Ninh Binh have banned vessels from going to sea.
Several major hydropower reservoirs in the Northern region, including Hoa Binh, Thac Ba and Tuyen Quang, are currently releasing water to prepare for incoming floods. Coastal dikes from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh are being inspected and reinforced by local authorities to ensure safety as the storm makes landfall.
On October 5, storm Matmo made landfall in southern China, bringing strong winds and heavy rain across Guangdong Province and Hainan Island. Earlier, hundreds of flights and numerous outdoor events in Hainan, which is a popular tourist destination during China’s National Day holiday, had been canceled for safety.
China’s National Meteorological Center forecast that as Matmo approached the coast, it reached wind speeds of 151 kilometers per hour, gusting over 170 kilometers per hour, and made landfall in Xuwen County, Guangdong Province, at 2:50 p.m.
Local authorities reported that about 300,000 residents in Guangdong and Hainan had been evacuated from coastal areas.
The National Civil Defense Steering Committee on October 5 issued an urgent dispatch directing northern provinces and relevant ministries and agencies to strictly implement measures in response to storm No. 11.
The letter instructed localities, including Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Lao Cai, Lai Chau, Dien Bien, Thai Nguyen, Tuyen Quang, Phu Tho and Hanoi, to closely monitor the storm’s developments, proactively evacuate residents from dangerous areas, ban vessels from going out to sea, and ensure the safety of coastal tourist zones and essential infrastructure.
The chairpersons of provincial and municipal People’s Committees were authorized to decide on school closures and the temporary suspension of production activities in areas at high risk of being severely affected by the storm.
On the same day, Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee Tran Sy Thanh issued an urgent directive requiring all municipal departments, agencies, units and localities to implement proactive, timely and effective measures in response to storm No. 11.
Following the directive, the Hanoi leader encouraged offices and organizations across the city to arrange for officials, civil servants, public employees and workers to work remotely on Monday, October 6 as a precaution against heavy rain and strong winds.
At the same time, the Chairman of the Hanoi People’s Committee has instructed the Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training to inspect and prepare plans to ensure the safety of teachers, students and school facilities during the storm.
Depending on the developments of rain, wind and flooding in each area, the department was authorized to decide on school closures at all levels to safeguard students and teachers.
In Quang Ninh Province, the Department of Education and Training directed schools to suspend in-person classes or operate under online learning while the storm is affecting the area. The Hai Phong City Department of Education and Training also allowed educational institutions to decide independently whether to close schools and required them to notify parents promptly.
Meanwhile, the Ninh Binh Provincial Department of Education and Training issued a notice guiding schools to proactively close in case that strong winds, heavy rain, flooding, or landslides occur.
An estimated more than 3.4 million students in the above mentioned localities will be off school on October 6 to stay safe from storm No. 11.
Five Northern airports may be affected by storm No.11
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) on October 5 reported that, based on the projected path of storm No. 11, Cat Bi International Airport in Hai Phong city and Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh Province are expected to be directly affected by the storm.
At the same time, Noi Bai International Airport in the capital city of Hanoi, Vinh International Airport in Nghe An Province and Tho Xuan Airport in Thanh Hoa Province are forecast to experience indirect impacts and must remain prepared in case of unexpected storm movements.
Airlines have been instructed to closely monitor weather developments in the affected areas and adjust or reschedule flights as necessary to ensure passenger safety.
