HANOI (BLOOMBERG) - Provinces along Vietnam's central coastline from Quang Binh to Danang are planning to evacuate 1.1 million people ahead of Tropical Storm Noul's expected landfall on Friday (Sept 18), Tuoi Tre newspaper reported, citing agriculture minister Nguyen Xuan Cuong during a meeting on Thursday morning.

The authorities are ordering boats to return to ports as the military dispatches 256,000 soldiers to the region to assist in emergency operations, the newspaper reported.

More than 500 fishing boats remained at sea as of early on Thursday morning.

The Central Highlands, Vietnam's prime coffee producing region, and the southern portions of the central coast are expected to receive rainfall of 50-100mm, the government said on Wednesday.