Vietnam May Evacuate 500,000 As Storm Noul Nears Central Region

(Bloomberg) -- Vietnam is planning for the possible evacuation of as many as 500,000 residents in the country’s central coast region ahead of the expected Thursday landfall of Storm Noul, the government said in a post on its Facebook page, citing an order from Deputy Premier Trinh Dinh Dung.

The storm is forecast to hit a large area, from Quang Binh province to Danang City, during an afternoon high tide, the government warned. As much as 400 millimeters of rain could drench Ha Tinh and Quang Ngai provinces from Thursday afternoon to Friday evening.

The Central Highlands, Vietnam’s prime coffee producing region, and the southern portions of the central coast are expected to receive rainfall of 50-100 milimeters during the same period, the government said. Further north, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An provinces are likely to receive rainfall of 100-150 millimeters Friday through Sunday.

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