Northern region on alert for extreme weather

Heavy rains damaged houses and farm products in Dai Tu district, the northern province of Thai Nguyên last week

The localities may experience showers and thunderstorms over the next few days, bringing risks of flash floods, landslides and flooding in mountainous provinces.

The warning on the level of natural disaster risk caused by cyclones, lightning and hail is at level one out of five for the northeast and north-central regions.

Lai Chau, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, Ha Giang, Bac Kan and Lang Son provinces are seen as most at-risk.

To minimise damage caused by extreme weather, the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control on Saturday issued a document asking provinces and cities to closely monitor developments of storms, flash floods, landslides and flooding.

They should review the safety of citizens' houses and prepare response plans for if a natural disaster occurs.

Provinces and cities in the north and north-central regions should direct agencies to coordinate with communication agencies, especially at the grassroots level, to guide people on how to respond to natural disasters to minimise damage.

Agencies will give reports on the situation of natural disasters and damage to the Standing Office of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control.

Chairman of the Lai Chau People's Committee Tran Tien Dung said the committee had asked localities and people to prepare for natural disasters.

The committee has strengthened its Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control and Search and Rescue from provincial to grassroots levels, assigning tasks to members and inspecting branches and localities' natural disaster prevention and control plans.

The province will relocate households out of areas at risk of landslides and flash floods, warn passersby on flooded roads, and not let people collect firewood, catch fish or wade across streams when it is flooding.

The Lai Chau Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will supervise the operation of reservoirs, while the owners of dams and reservoirs will be responsible for providing information related to their operation to provincial and district authorities.

VNS