EN
Faced with the complex and unpredictable developments of Storm Matmo (Storm No. 11), authorities from the central to local levels have urgently issued telegrams and urgent documents, requiring units to concentrate on implementing response measures. In particular, the aviation, road and armed forces have been put on 24/7 standby to ensure absolute safety for people, tourists and construction assets against the risk of storms and prolonged heavy rains.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, on the morning of October 6, the center of storm Matmo entered Mong Cai, Quang Ninh province, then moved along the northern border, causing heavy rain in mountainous and midland provinces.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting and the Aviation Meteorological Center, Storm Matmo is expected to directly affect the Northern and Central regions, including the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City air traffic control zones, affecting many key airports.
Faced with this situation, the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) has issued an urgent document, requesting relevant units to focus on responding. Airports predicted to be most affected such as Van Don, Cat Bi, Noi Bai, Vinh and Tho Xuan have been ordered to be on duty 24/24 hours and proactively check infrastructure.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam requires the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) to preside over and coordinate the inspection of the entire technical infrastructure system, communications, and stations, in order to promptly detect and handle incidents and ensure safe operations. In particular, units must deploy measures to prevent flooding, clear water flows, protect structures, vehicles and equipment to minimize damage, and be ready to quickly restore operations after the weather stabilizes.
Vietnam Air Traffic Management Corporation (VATM) is required to strengthen monitoring and continuously update weather forecasts and warnings to provide full and timely information to airlines and air traffic control agencies. Close coordination between aviation service providers, meteorologists and port authorities is a key factor to minimize the impact of storms on operations.
The CAAV also noted that the risk of prolonged heavy rain after the storm weakened and made landfall could continue to affect aviation infrastructure. For airports with construction projects (such as Cat Bi and Vinh), investors and contractors must immediately determine a technical stop point to temporarily suspend construction, ensuring safety for the project and workers.
Along with the aviation industry, the Ministry of Construction has also issued an urgent dispatch requesting its affiliated units and localities to focus on flood and storm prevention. The Vietnam Road Administration is assigned to direct the Road Management Areas to closely coordinate with localities and the Department of Construction to review and update response scenarios. Forces must be deployed on duty 24/7, organize traffic flow, install signs and barriers at flooded, landslide or unsafe locations. Units must prepare materials, machinery, spare equipment, and be ready to handle incidents to ensure smooth traffic in the fastest time.
Passengers should pay attention to updated information about storms and flights so as not to affect personal schedules.
To ensure absolute safety, the armed forces have been mobilized. On October 5, the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army established an inspection team to respond to storm No. 11 in Military Region 3 and the Border Guard.
In addition, the railway industry has also announced the temporary suspension of the MR1/2 trains on October 5 and 6 to ensure safety, and at the same time allows passengers with tickets to exchange or return their tickets within 30 days. In particular, due to the forecast that Hanoi will have heavy rain from early morning October 6 to the end of October 7 (with rainfall of 70-120 mm, in some places over 150 mm), the city government encourages people to work online, and the Department of Education and Training considers letting students stay home from school. These urgent actions show the high concentration of the entire system to minimize the damage caused by Storm Matmo.
