Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Typhoon Conson will enter the East Sea on September8 night and is forecast to take a complicated path.

Accordingto the National Centre of Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 2pm on September8, the centre of the typhoon was in the south of Luzon Island in thePhilippines with sustained average winds of 75 to 90km per hour nearthe typhoon eye, and up to 117km per hour gusts approaching level 11 on theBeaufort scale.

Thetyphoon is predicted to move northwest and head to the East Sea.

At1pm on September 9, it will be about 660km east-southeast of Hoang Sa (Paracel)Islands with sustained winds of 75 to 90km per hour near the typhoon eye,and gusts approaching level 11.

Itis forecast to move at a speed of 10-20km per hour and strengthen itspower until it is about 220km northwest of the Hoang Sa Islands at 1pm on September11. Then it will sustain wind power of 100 to 120km per hour, with gustsreaching level 13.

Expertshave warned that fishermen and boatmen need to closely follow the typhoondevelopment, as well as observe the sky and water surface to identifyabnormalities of the weather.

Fishermenneed to steer boats away from typhoon-affected areas.

HoangPhuc Lam, Deputy Director of the National Centre of Hydro-MeteorologicalForecasting, said there was another active typhoon on the East Sea namedChanthu.

Ithas sustained level 13-14, and was located about 1,100km east of TyphoonConson on September 8.

Itis predicted that after hitting the Philippines, the power and direction ofTyphoon Conson will significantly change.

Thereis a high possibility that after weakening in the Philippines, when approachingthe East Sea, Typhoon Conson will gain its strength. There is anotherpossibility that Typhoon Conson will weaken and move to China ormove south.

TyphoonConson has interacted with islands and mainland areas of the Philippines andTyphoon Chanthu, making Conson unpredictable, Lâm said.

Itis likely that Typhoon Conson will head to the East Sea and become the fifthtyphoon to make landfall in Vietnam this year. The mainland area has not beenaffected but the northern and central region will experience prolonged rainuntil September 12.

TheNational Centre of Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has asked local authoritiesof affected areas, especially 15 localities from Quang Ninh to Binh Dinh toprepare response scenarios, especially in the context of the pandemic.

Dependingon the situation, chairpersons of provincial People’s Committees areresponsible for issuing offshore fishing bans.

Authoritiesin mountainous areas need to prepare plans to evacuate residents in areas proneto landslides and flash floods.

Somelocalities have prepared mass evacuation plans in areas with strong typhoonsand heavy rains if the disaster level reaches level 3 out of 5.

Ifthe disaster level reaches level 3, nearly 74,000 people in coastalareas, more than 114,000 people living along rivers and near dykes, and morethan 70,000 residents in areas prone to flash floods and landslides willbe relocated.

TheNational Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control held anonline meeting with 15 provinces from Quang Ninh to Binh Dinh on September 8 todiscuss preventive measures.

Deputyhead of the committee Tran Quang Hoai asked authorities of the localities toseriously implement the Prime Minister's direction to be ready to cope withnatural disasters amid the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Theywere requested to prepare measures to evacuate people in case of strong storms,heavy rain, flash floods and landslides while ensuring COVID-19 prevention andcontrol following guidelines from the Ministry of Health.

Accordingto the National Centre of Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, there will be sixto eight more typhoons or tropical depressions in the East Sea this year,including two to four typhoons/tropical depressions directly affecting themainland./.