Typhoon Kaitak entered the south of the East Sea on December 18 afternoon. It is forecast to get stronger, according to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting.
Students in Thuong Phung Boarding Primary School in Meo Vac District in the northern province of Ha Giang are given blankets to tackle the cold spell that hit the province in the last few days (Photo VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - A new typhoon, Kaitak, entered the south of the East Sea on December 18 afternoon. As the 15th storm to hit the waters this year, it is forecast to get stronger, according to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting.
At 1pm on December 18, it was 530km southeast of the Song Tu Tay Island in the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago. It was moving southeast at a speed of 15km per hour - and is expected to continue doing this for the next 24-48 hours.
The typhoon was expected to be about 270km away from the island at 7am on December 19, creating showers and storms.
The severe storm killed about 30 people on Biliran Island in the central Philippines after making landfall here on December 17, the VnExpress online newspaper reported.
The Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on December 18 issued an urgent message calling for preparations to protect people and livestock.
The message asked the authorities of localities from the coastal province of Quang Ninh to the southern province of Kien Giang to closely follow the typhoon’s progress and update information for fishermen and boat owners.
It requires local authorities from Da Nang city to Kien Giang province to start counting fishing vessels and boats at sea and intensify its control over them.
The message urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support fishing vessels forced to take shelter in countries in the region. The central province of Binh Dinh is alreadyikeeping an eye on two fishing vessels that requested to take shelter in Malaysia.
The Central Steering Committee requested the Committees for Disaster Preparedness and Search and Rescue, as well as concerned ministries and sectors, to prepare human resources and equipment to be ready to search and rescue typhoon victims.
A cold spell has intensified in the South East region of Vietnam. It is expected to affect wide areas in the North and North Central Coast regions from December 18 to 20, with lowest temperatures ranging from two to nine degrees Celsius in the northern region and nine to 11 degrees Celsius in the northern Delta.-VNA
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Students in Thuong Phung Boarding Primary School in Meo Vac District in the northern province of Ha Giang are given blankets to tackle the cold spell that hit the province in the last few days (Photo VNA) 
