Storm No. 3 is complicated, urgent action is needed to promptly prevent, avoid and respond.

* Must accurately assess the scale, intensity, and scope of the storm's impact.

Speaking at the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister expressed his deep sympathy to the families of the victims of the shipwreck in Ha Long Bay, Quang Ninh. Despite implementing rescue measures under very difficult conditions, so far, the authorities have basically completed the work of salvaging the ship and searching for victims, but there are still some missing cases. The authorities are actively mobilizing human resources and means to continue the search.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment, the cause of the heavy thunderstorms on the afternoon of July 19 in the North and the Gulf of Tonkin was the influence of the tropical convergence zone with its axis passing through the North, combined with the high temperature conditions in the North over the past 3 days (the circulation of storm No. 3 has not directly affected the Gulf of Tonkin).

The Deputy Prime Minister requested specialized agencies to accurately assess the scale, intensity and scope of the storm. Currently, it is assessed that the storm may affect the Northern and North Central regions, with a very large area of ​​influence, stretching from Quang Ninh to Ha Tinh, and even wider due to the impact of the post-storm circulation. Given the complex developments of storm No. 3, it is necessary to fully mobilize central and local forces and unify urgent actions to promptly prevent, avoid and effectively respond to the storm.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that after completing the organization of the two-level local government apparatus, provinces and cities need to review and assess the actual level of preparedness to respond to natural disasters, especially before the upcoming storm, to ensure that the post-merger apparatus operates effectively and synchronously in all areas, including flood and storm prevention and control.

"Ensure clear division of labor and effective coordination among forces in carrying out tasks," the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.

* Closely monitor the storm's progress

According to the report of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, at 9:00 a.m. on July 20, storm No. 3 was about 670km east of Quang Ninh - Hai Phong, with a strength of level 11. Storm No. 3 is moving quickly, with its circulation shifting to the south and west.

It is forecasted that on the afternoon of July 21, the storm will enter the Gulf of Tonkin with an intensity of level 10-11, gusting to level 14. It will make landfall in the North to Nghe An on July 22, 2025. From July 21 to July 23, the Northeast, the Northern Delta, Thanh Hoa and Nghe An will have heavy to very heavy rain with common rainfall of 200-350mm, locally over 600mm; other places in the North and North Central regions will have rain from 100-200mm, locally over 300mm.

According to the report of the Civil Defense Command, Natural Disaster Prevention and Search and Rescue, and the Border Guard of localities, as of 6:30 a.m. on July 20, 54,300 vehicles/227,194 people had been notified, counted, and instructed on the storm's developments and direction to proactively prevent it.

The total aquaculture area in coastal provinces and cities from Quang Ninh to Nghe An at risk of being affected by storms and floods is 148,834 hectares; 20,154 cages; 3,743 aquaculture watchtowers. Son La, Hoa Binh, Tuyen Quang, and Thac Ba lakes are lower than the highest water level before the main flood season. The average water volume stored in irrigation reservoirs in the Northern region to Ha Tinh is about 55 - 87% of the design capacity. Currently, 91 lakes are being repaired and upgraded.

To proactively respond to storms and floods, the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment proposes to focus on implementing the contents according to the Prime Minister's telegram.

Specifically, for the sea route from Quang Ninh to Dak Lak, closely monitor the storm's developments; strictly manage means of transport going out to sea; organize counting and notify owners of means of transport, captains of ships and boats operating at sea of ​​the location, direction of movement and developments of the storm so that they can proactively avoid, escape, not move into dangerous areas or return to safe shelters.

Implement work to ensure safety of people, vehicles, and property, especially for tourist destinations, aquaculture, fishing, and constructions at sea, on islands, and in coastal areas.

For provinces from Quang Ninh to Nghe An, based on the specific situation, proactively decide to ban fishing boats, transport ships, and tourist boats from going to sea and evacuate people from cages, watchtowers for aquaculture along the coast, at sea, and on islands to ensure safety; prepare forces and means for rescue when required.

For the delta region, it is necessary to review and be ready to evacuate people from unsafe houses, areas at risk of deep flooding, river mouths, and coastal areas. Direct the work of ensuring the safety of sea dykes and river dykes, especially vulnerable locations or those under construction. Proactively drain buffer water, prevent flooding to protect agricultural production, urban areas and industrial zones at risk of flooding. Organize tree pruning; brace and reinforce signs, houses, public works, industrial zones, factories, warehouses, and projects under construction. Check, review, and take measures to ensure the safety of telecommunications systems and power grid systems to maintain operations without interruption before, during and after storms. Proactively organize the harvesting of agricultural products and aquaculture areas according to the motto "green house is better than old field".

For mountainous areas, deploy shock forces to inspect and review residential areas along rivers, streams, low-lying areas, areas at risk of flooding, flash floods, landslides to proactively clear the flow of blocked and obstructed areas; organize the relocation and evacuation of people to safe places; direct commune-level authorities to notify each household living in areas at risk of landslides and flash floods to inspect and review the area around their residence to promptly detect unusual and dangerous signs to proactively evacuate from dangerous areas;

Prepare plans to organize forces to guard, control, support, and guide to ensure safe traffic for people and vehicles, especially at culverts, spillways, deeply flooded areas, areas with strong currents, areas where landslides have occurred or are at risk of landslides; resolutely not allow people and vehicles to pass if safety is not ensured; arrange forces, materials, and means to overcome incidents, ensuring smooth traffic on main traffic routes when landslides occur.

Direct the inspection, review, and preparation of plans to ensure the safety of mines, mines, reservoirs, and downstream areas, especially small hydroelectric reservoirs, small irrigation reservoirs, and critical reservoirs; arrange a permanent force to operate and regulate and be ready to handle possible situations.

Learning from the sinking of the Green Bay 58 (QN7105) in Quang Ninh province, the Ministry requested coastal localities to direct functional forces to strictly control the activities of boats, especially tourist boats, to avoid unfortunate damage situations like the one in Quang Ninh province.