Storm No. 1 Wutip reached level 11, gusting to level 14 in the sea southwest of Hainan Island (China), according to emergency storm news at 11:00 on June 13 from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. Storm No. 1 will severely affect the weather in the Gulf of Tonkin and the offshore waters from Quang Tri to Da Nang.
Due to the impact of storm No. 1, ships carrying tourists to and from Ly Son island are prohibited from operating. 100 tourists are stranded on the island.
The family of Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Nga (30 years old, Thanh Hoa) are tourists avoiding the storm on the island during the summer vacation. The family was very excited about the vacation starting on June 9, looking forward to beautiful sunny days, immersing themselves in the profound waters of the sea.
Before the trip, Ms. Nga carefully checked the local weather. However, when taking a high-speed train to Ly Son Island, she received information about a tropical depression in the East Sea that could become storm No. 1. According to the announcement from the local government, on June 14, passenger ships will resume operation.
She said: "Due to heavy rain, we could not visit Be Island as originally planned. However, after 2 days of rain, the weather has cleared up. My family took the opportunity to visit the island."
Ms. Nga's family only has to pay for extra food and accommodation, the hotel does not charge room fees arising from the storm. In fact, the price on Ly Son Island is quite cheap, so the trip did not cost too much money, but the family only regrets "failing to plan".
Similarly, visiting Ly Son Island since June 9, the family of Ms. Luu Thi Thu Trang (35 years old, Vinh Phuc) chose to stay to avoid the storm instead of leaving early.
The family already had a plane ticket for the return, but decided to postpone the flight date due to the time the train welcomed guests to the mainland and the unreasonable flight time. The family paid an additional 1 million VND to exchange air tickets.
"On the first day, the weather was still nice. We had a wonderful time in Hang Cau. By the second day, it started to rain and we were informed that there was a storm, many people returned to the mainland. However, my family chose to stay," said Ms. Trang.
At first, the family members were quite sad because the plan did not go as expected. Stuck on the Big Island, Ms. Trang's family's activities simply revolved around eating and sleeping
Not letting the weather affect their mood, Ms. Trang's family decided to move from a hotel to a homestay near the Po Vo Gate. These two locations are at the two ends of the Big Island. When the rain stopped, the whole family wore raincoats and went out, taking photos with some nearby tourist attractions to take more souvenir photos for this memorable trip.
Ms. Trang's photos checking in Ly Son during the rainy and stormy season attracted hundreds of interactions. Many tourists were surprised because it was the first time they saw the To Vo gate submerged in water. "Someone has a trip to the island in the summer and then encounters a storm, it is true that tourists have a trip full of memories! , "Congratulations to you... a memorable summer of Ly Son"... are humorous comments left by the travel community under Ms. Trang's photo series.
Talking to Lao Dong, the owner of Thu Thanh Hotel on Ly Son Island said: "For tourists who are stuck in a hotel due to the storm and have no boats to pick them up, we proactively exempt room rental fees for days outside the rental period".
The hotel also invited visitors to eat with their families when many shops on the island were not open due to bad weather. For tourists planning to visit Ly Son Island on the day of the storm, the hotel owner has proactively contacted to inform them of the situation and paid the deposit.
"I have paid the deposit to 4-5 tourists. This affects our economy, because tourists also book other hotel services. However, this is an unpredictable event, we need to ensure the safety of tourists," the hotel representative explained.
According to information from the People's Committee of Ly Son district, the district has a plan to ensure the safety of tourists, and the motels and hotels on the island also ensure accommodation and living conditions for tourists during the time stuck by storm No. 1.
Due to the impact of storm No. 1, airlines have had to adjust the schedules of a series of flights to and from the Central region. Some destinations such as Co To Island (Quang Ninh), Phong Nha - Ke Bang (Quang Binh) have temporarily suspended tourism activities to ensure safety.
Given the complicated developments of storm No. 1 and dangerous weather at sea and on land, tourists planning to visit or stay in coastal areas from Quang Tri to Nghe An, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Hue, or islands in the Gulf of Tonkin should closely monitor weather forecasts and follow the instructions of authorities.
