According to media reports, on Sunday, Vietnam announced the evacuation of more than 300,000 residents and the cancellation of several domestic flights ahead of Kajiki’s expected landfall on Monday. The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces were shut, while carriers such as Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet suspended numerous routes.

Earlier, the storm swept past China’s Hainan Island, where the coastal city of Sanya ordered businesses to close and halted public transport. Describing Kajiki as a “dangerous, fast-moving storm,” Vietnam’s government cautioned citizens about the risk of torrential rains, floods, and landslides, reportedly.

Officials fear Kajiki may reach the same destructive force as Typhoon Yagi, which hit less than a year ago. Currently moving through the Gulf of Tonkin, the storm is generating waves as high as 9.5 metres (31 feet).

While Vietnam remains highly exposed to tropical cyclones due to its long coastline along the South China Sea, the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre noted that Kajiki may weaken as it nears the Gulf’s continental shelf, where ocean heat content is lower.