HANOI, July 27 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam is preparing to brace for storm Mirinae which is forecast to make landfall in its northeastern region on Wednesday night. This is the first storm to strike Vietnam in 2016.
Authorities of Vietnam's coastal localities from northern Quang Ninh province to southern Phu Yen province have instructed relevant agencies to check operation of boats in the areas which are forecast to be affected by the storm and urge them to take shelter.
The storm will bring gales and torrential rain to northern Vietnam. The area is also being warned of floods and landslides caused by heavy rain, the National Steering Committee on Natural Disaster Prevention and Control said on its website on Wednesday.
According to reports of localities from Quang Ninh to Phu Yen, as of 06:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday (2300 GMT on Tuesday), as many as 61,937 boats with 270,627 people on board have been informed of the storm and instructed to take shelter.
The storm is forecast to move west-northwest in the next 24 hours, at a speed of up to 20 km per hour.
