Authorities in Vietnam are stepping up emergency preparations for super typhoon Rammasun, which is expected to hit land Saturday near Halong Bay.
The storm continues to gain strength after killing scores of people in the northern Philippines and several in China.
Authorities in Vietnam's port of Halong Bay have ordered all off-shore fishing vessels to come back to port and take shelter, and have told the owners of 9,000 boats in the harbor to secure their vessels.
They have also reinforced dams and flushed dikes. The flushing of dikes aims to reduce flooding from the heavy rains.
Earlier in the week the powerful storm killed dozens of people as it passed through the Philippines. After regaining strength over the South China Sea, typhoon Rammasun slammed southern China on Friday where authorities said it was the worst storm to hit in 40 years.
With winds of more than 200 kilometers per hour, Rammasun hit the southern Chinese island of Hainan on its way to the province of Guangdong.
The official Xinhua news agency says more than 26,000 people were evacuated on Hainan ahead of the storm. China's National Meteorological Center issued its highest "red alert."
The storm was expected to bring violent winds, high waves and torrential rain to southern China, where dozens already had been killed by floods in recent days.
Rammasun, which means "God of Thunder" in Thai, killed at least 40 people as it cut a path through the northern Philippines this week.
Millions in the capital, Manila, and surrounding areas remain without power, as downed power lines and trees continue blocking roadways in many areas.
