The Steering Committees of Flood and Storm Control, Search and Rescuefrom Quang Tri to Ca Mau, and ministries have been requested to stayalert to the powerful typhoon Hagupit which is forecast to enter theEast Sea on December 8-9.

The request was made by the CentralSteering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control and theNational Committee for Search and Rescue in their recent notice.

They urged for evacuating residents in low-lying areas, helpingvessels anchor in safety while ensuring the safety of dykes, irrigationsystems and construction sites.

The typhoon is forecastto move into the East Sea on the night of December 8 and likely toprogress westwards and hit the south-central of Vietnam, from Phu Yen toBinh Thuan on December 11-12, with heavy rain and cold air, Director ofthe Vietnam National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecast Centretold Deputy Prime Minister Hoang Trung Hai during a meeting in Hanoi onDecember 6.

Another scenario comes that it will hit thesouthern region as a tropical low pressure area after making landfall onthe coastal area of the south-central.

The last possibility is that it weakens at sea or move deep into the south, he added.

Concluding the meeting, Deputy PM Hai asked ministries, agencies andlocalities to closely track the movement of the storm and keep officialson duty round the clock in response to contingencies.

TheMinistries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Industry and Trade areresponsible for checking operations and water level of irrigationalreservoirs.

On night of December 6, Hagupit bore down on theeastern coasts of the Philippines, packing wind of up to 210km per hourand becoming the strongest storm ever this year. Casualties and economicdamages have yet been reported due to broken communications networks.-VNA