Storm Haitang to hit central Vietnam

Tropical Storm Haitang is forecast to hit central Vietnam and the country's northern parts of the Central Highlands in the next few days, causing heavy rain and strong wind, according to the Vietnamese Center for Hydrometeorology Forecasting on Monday. As of 7 p.m. on Monday, local time, the storm is expected to be 100 km northeast off the central coast of Ha Tinh and Quang Nam provinces, with wind speed of between 62-88 kph, said the report. It is forecast to move west-northwest at 15 kph for one more day, then downgrade into a tropical depression. Around 7 p.m. on Tuesday, local time, the centre of the tropical depression will hang over the central part of the neighboring Laos. The Central Steering Committee for Storm and Flood Control instructed relevant agencies to inform ships and boats of the storm hit areas, ensuring they would stay in safe shelter. Local authorities were requested to control the safe water level at reservoirs and protect the residents from possible flood and landslides.