Vietnam began mass evacuations and suspended airport operations on Sunday as Typhoon Bualoi surged toward its central coastline, prompting emergency preparations across multiple provinces. The storm, which intensified rapidly over the weekend, follows closely on the heels of devastating floods in the Philippines that left at least 10 dead.

The national weather forecasting center reported that Bualoi was packing sustained winds of up to 133 km/h (83 mph) as of 0200 GMT, and is moving at nearly twice the average speed of tropical systems in the region. The typhoon is now expected to make landfall late Sunday — earlier than previously projected — bringing with it widespread threats of severe weather.

“This is a rapidly moving storm with high intensity and a wide area of impact,” the agency said in a statement. “It poses a significant risk of concurrent disasters, including damaging winds, torrential rain, flash flooding, landslides, and coastal storm surges.”

Authorities in Ha Tinh province have evacuated more than 15,000 residents from vulnerable areas, while military and disaster response units have been placed on high alert for rescue and relief operations. The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam confirmed the temporary closure of four regional airports, including Danang International Airport, and rerouted or delayed dozens of flights.

Torrential rainfall had already begun affecting the provinces of Hue and Quang Tri by early Sunday, resulting in localized flooding, according to government officials.

Vietnam, which lies along the typhoon-prone South China Sea, frequently faces the brunt of tropical cyclones. Last year, Typhoon Yagi caused nearly 300 deaths and left behind an estimated $3.3 billion in damage, underscoring the country’s vulnerability to increasingly intense weather events.

The government urged residents in low-lying and mountainous regions to remain alert and comply with evacuation orders as the storm approaches.