Kalmaegi moved into the central coast of Vietnam on Thursday afternoon, Swedish time – just days after parts of the country were submerged in heavy rainstorms.
The typhoon is hitting some of the same areas that were hit hardest by the rains, reports the EFE news agency. Almost 50 people have been confirmed dead in last week's floods, which hit the World Heritage cities of Hue and Hoi An hard, among other places.
Kalmaegi's extreme rain could cause already overflowing rivers to burst and flood several cities, authorities warn.
Around 300,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and around 200,000 soldiers have been mobilized, according to the government in Hanoi. Several airports are closed as a result of Kalmaegi, which has already claimed well over 100 lives in the Philippines.
In the Vietnamese coastal city of Qui Nhon, officials went door to door to warn residents, AFP reports.
"I'm not young anymore. I don't want to risk my life," says 56-year-old Tran Thi Nghia, who heeded the authorities' call and took shelter in a school.
