Vietnam has ordered the evacuation of more than 500,000 people in provinces along the country’s coastline as Tropical Storm Noul approaches.

Noul moves slowly across the South China Sea about 600 kilometres east of the Vietnamese coastline.

The storm is expected to intensify as it gets closer to land. Noul will probably reach the country on Friday, with wind speeds of up to 130 kilometres per hour.

The authorities expect floods and landslides in the central provinces, which are home to popular tourist hotspots such as Hoi An, Hue and Da Nang.

According to reports in local media, the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense will mobilize more than 300,000 soldiers, police officers and civilian volunteers to manage the evacuation.

The coastal city of Da Nang is only just beginning to reopen after the second wave of corona infections in the country. Travel bans were in place in the country for over a month.

In 2019, 133 people were killed in Vietnam as a result of natural disasters, including storms, floods and landslides.