KUALA LUMPUR:The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) today warned that a typhoon now headed for Vietnam can trigger strong winds and rough seas in the South China Sea.

It said in a statement that Typhoon Molave, currently located 678 km southeast of Da Nang, Vietnam, was moving at a speed of 25 km per hour and could reach a maximum speed of 157 km per hour.

MetMalaysia said the typhoon was 787 km north-east of Kudat in Sabah, the town currently nearest to the tropical storm.

Typhoon Molave struck central Philippines last Sunday, leaving three people dead and a dozen others missing as it inundated low-lying villages and farmlands, toppled power lines and destroyed hundreds of houses.

According to foreign news reports, Vietnam is preparing to evacuate nearly 1.3 million people before the typhoon makes landfall, which is expected to be tomorrow.

-- BERNAMA