Vietnam: 500,000 to be evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki nears

Vietnam: Authorities in Vietnam were preparing to move more than 500,000 people from four central coastal provinces on Sunday as Typhoon Kajiki was set to make landfall.

More than 150,000 households in Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Danang were ordered to seek shelter inland.

Vietnamese carriers Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet cancelled flights due to the anticipated weather conditions.

According to the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre, Kajiki was traveling across the South China Sea with windspeeds of 175 kilometers per hour (109 miles per hour).

Heavy rains and flooding are expected.

The coastal city of Vinh was hit by heavy rain overnight, with most shops and restaurants closed by the morning.

The typhoon is expected to make landfall around 1:00 p.m. local time (0600 UTC) with winds of 157 kilometres per hour, according to Vietnam's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

Vietnam suffered around $3.3 billion (€2.82 billion) in economic losses when Typhoon Yagi hit the country last year.

Typhoon Kajiki is also expected to sweep past China's Hainan island, where over 20,000 people were put under an evacuation order.

The resort city of Sanya on Hainan closed tourist attractions, schools, stores, office buildings as the typhoon approaches. Public transportation has also been suspended in Sanya. 

A social media post by the city urged residents not to go out unless necessary.

Strong winds also hit nearby parts of Guangdong province.