At 4 a.m. Kompasu was located about 910 km northeast of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, with winds gusting more than 100kph near its centre.
The storm is anticipated to move fast at a speed of 20-25 kph and gather strength before weakening into a tropical depression and battering the north-central coastal provinces on October 14.
Weather forecasters said Kompasu will affect large parts of the northern delta, including Hanoi capital and areas from Thanh Hoa to Thua Thien – Hue.
Heavy rain will temporarily let up on October 12 following the dissipation of storm Lionrock, but will threaten the northern and north-central regions again on October 13-14 when Kompasu moves closer to the mainland, with rainfall totals expected to climb as high as 150-250 mm.
Weather experts warned of a high risk of flash floods and landslides in mountainous localities and flooding in low-lying areas.