After making landfall along the coastline from Phu Yen to Ninh Thuan Provinces early on Friday morning, the tropical low pressure system has downgraded into a low pressure zone, according to the National Hydro Meteorological Forecasting Center.
By 7am, the low pressure zone was centered 12.1 degrees latitude north and 108.8 degrees longitude east, along Phu Yen to Khanh Hoa Provinces, with wind speed decreasing to below level 6.
In the next 12 hours, the low pressure zone will move west-southwest, entering deep into the mainland then gradually weakening.
The low pressure zone combined with intense cold spell and air turbulence has brought heavy rains to provinces from Ha Tinh to Khanh Hoa and highland provinces, with average rainfall of 70-120 millimeters by 7am on Friday.
Provinces from Quang Ngai to Phu Yen saw rainfall of 120-170 millimeters; some other places faced heavier rainfall, such as Ba To District in Quang Ngai Province with 237 millimeters, Hoai Nhon District in Binh Dinh Province with 159 millimeters, and Song Cau Town in Phu Yen Province with 187 millimeters. Coastal areas of Binh Dinh, Phu Yen and Khanh Hoa Provinces and Phu Quy Island faced strong winds of level 6-7. Southern provinces will also have heavy rains and thunderstorms.
Due to heavy rains, provinces from Quang Tri to Binh Thuan and the highlands will possibly have floods and landslides.
In the past two days, coastguards had called 46,706 boats with 194,261 fishermen to return to safer shores or seek for safer shelters. However, there were 350 boats with 4,616 fishermen still in dangerous waters. Local coastguards have been trying their best to locate these boats and ask them to move out of danger zone.
On Thursday, air force officers had helped more than 500 fishing boats along the waters off Vung Tau to Nha Trang to return to shore.
