Image source, AFP via Getty Images

Typhoon Kajiki made landfall in Vietnam on Monday afternoon, battering the country's coastal provinces with winds of up to 118-133 km/h.

Vietnamese authorities have said it could be as powerful as Typhoon Yagi - its most powerful storm in 30 years - which killed 300 people when it hit last year.

While the storm has decreased in intensity, the wind speeds remain high, the country's weather forecasting service said.

Close to 600,000 people were ordered to leave their homes in the coastal province of Ha Tinh. Central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Da Nang were also ordered to evacuate.

Flights have also been suspended at two airports in its central region along with some train services. Meanwhile road travel has been suspended in Ha Tinh, a northern coastal province.

Vietnam isn't the only country facing off Typhoon Kajiki, which earlier skirted past China's Hainan island and brought heavy rain and strong winds to southern China.

Authorities in Thailand have also sent weather warnings to 58 provinces as the typhoon approaches the country. There have been warnings of flash floods, runoffs and landslides could hit the country.

We are pausing our live coverage here for now but we'll be sure to keep our news story up to date with any developments.

As well as the existing alerts in place for Vietnam, Thailand's authorities have also sent weather warnings to 58 provinces as Typhon Kajiki approaches the country.

The Thai government warns of flash floods, runoffs and landslides could hit parts of the country until Wednesday.

It warns that strong winds will mean waves in the upper Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf of Thailand are forecast to be up to 3m high.

It adds that rapid-response units and disaster relief task forces must also be prepared for immediate operations.

Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons are all storms, but they vary in name depending on where they are formed.

They are all the same weather systems - featuring strong winds, heavy rain, storm surges and have an eye in the centre of them.

Hurricanes are tropical storms that form over the north Atlantic and north-east Pacific Oceans.

Cyclones are formed over the south Pacific and Indian Oceans.

Typhoons are formed over the north-west Pacific Ocean.

Matt Taylor
Lead weather presenter

Typhoons making landfall in Vietnam is nothing unusual.

Storms either form in the South China Sea or originate in the west Pacific, weaken as they cross the Philippines, before re-strengthening over the warm waters of the South China Sea.

The spin of the Earth and overriding wind patterns then often help to steer these in the direction of Vietnam.

Vietnam, on average, sees four to six landfalls a year with even more just missing the country. Its main typhoon season is considered to run from June to November, with the peak period being September.

The number of typhoons and tropical storms - not as strong as typhoons - varies from year to year.

But it’s known that years with an El Nino taking place - where there are warmer waters in the eastern Pacific - tend to have fewer and less severe storms compared with La Nina years - where there are cooler waters in the east Pacific.

At the moment however, the atmosphere is considered to be in a neutral phase, and Vietnam’s national weather service said earlier in the year that this meant that back-to-back storms seen in La Nina years was less likely - with a prediction that there could be five or six making landfall during this season.

Studies into the effect of climate change on typhoons do not suggest an increase in a number of overall storms, but warming seas and greater moisture in the atmosphere could lead to some being stronger in these regions, with increased rainfall impacts.

Video captured by a livestream camera shows the strong winds in Hoang Mai, Vietnam.

Wind and rain can be seen buffeting the camera, with trees beneath swaying.

Over the past three hours, Typhoon Kajiki has barely moved, Vietnam's weather forecasting service says.

In a regular hourly update, it says that the storm has decreased in intensity, but that wind speeds remain high - between 103-133 km/h (64-82 mph)

Image source, Getty Images

Typhoon Kajiki comes less than a year after Vietnam was hit by its most powerful storm in 30 years - Typhoon Yagi.

It wreaked havoc across the north of the country, causing billions in damage and leaving 1.5m people without power.

The storm swept through northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar in September last year, killing more than 500 people across the region, according to official figures.

Thousands of people were seen stranded on rooftops in some northern provinces, while others posted desperate pleas for help on social media.

Severe floods and mudslides were also triggered in Myanmar, which damaged infrastructure and crops across nine states and regions.

Ahead of Kajiki's landfall, authorities had warned they expected it to be just as powerfull as Yagi.

Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha has visited those sheltering at Dan Truong primary school in Ha Tinh - located close to the country's eastern coast - on Monday.

He encouraged those sheltering to avoid the storm and urged local authorities to mobilise vehicles, excavators and materials - such as concrete and boulders - for reinforcement.

Image source, VGP

Image source, VGP

Image source, VGP

Image source, AFP

Evacuated residents, speaking to the AFP news agency, have expressed their shock about the scale of Typhoon Kajiki's forecasted impact.

"Normally we get storms and flooding, but never this big," 52-year-old Nguyen Thi Nhan tells AFP.

Separately, Le Manh Tung, 66, is sheltering at an indoor sports stadium in Vinh.

"I have never heard of a typhoon of this big scale coming to our city," he says.

"I am a bit scared, but then we have to accept it because it's nature - we cannot do anything."

Image source, Reuters

If you're just joining us, here's what we know so far:

• Typhoon Kajiki is slowly moving inland, after battering the Vietnamese coast with heavy rain and winds up to 133km/h (82mph)
• The powerful gusts of wind will ease, but BBC Weather's Matt Taylor says the impact of the heavy rainfall will be prolonged and over a larger area
• More than 586,000 residents have been evacuated. Schools and public buildings have been converted into temporary shelters, according to Vietnamese authorities
• Four hundred communes across six provinces have been put on alert for a risk of flash floods and landslides
• Airports in Thanh Hoa and Quang Binh provinces have been closed; while Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have cancelled multiple flights

We can now bring you the latest update from Vietnam's weather forecasting service.

It forecasts that, as of 16:00 local time (10:00 BST), winds are still between 118-133 km/h (73-82 mph).

It adds that over the next three hours, the storm will move west at around 10-15km/h.

As we have been reporting, a powerful typhoon has made landfall in eastern Vietnam.

In recent days it has moved slowly west through the South China Sea - causing damage to parts of China's Hainan province, which it skirted past.

This graphic shows the scale of the storm, shortly before it hit Vietnam.

Matt Taylor
Lead weather presenter

Wind strengths of typhoons and hurricanes often catch the eye first, but it’s the flooding impacts from prolonged torrential rain that often have a more devastating impact on communities.

The graphic below shows the footprint of rainfall from Kajiki extends across a large portion of northern Vietnam, and into northern Laos.

Highest rainfall totals will be in northern Vietnam - with 300-400mm of rain possible - but flooding and landslides could impact anywhere within the rainfall swathe.

So while the strongest winds may rapidly ease in the coming hours the impact of rain from the decaying typhoon will be ongoing and over a much larger area.

Image source, BBC Weather

Image source, Getty Images

Vietnam's National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting says there is a risk of flash floods on small rivers and streams, and landslides on steep slopes, for 400 communes across six provinces in the country.

Among those impacted are Phu Tho, Quang Ninh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Tri, it adds.

Meanwhile, it says there has been moderate to heavy rain in the provinces of Phu Tho and Quang Ninh, and from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri.

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh is asking for helicopters to be made available to help with resident evacuations.

The country's national defence and public security ministers have been instructed to deploy forces and vehicles, including helicopters, to priority areas - both to help with evacuations and, if necessary, search and rescue operations.

Image source, Getty Images

Schools and public beaches are closed today, with Vietnam anticipating this typhoon could be its strongest storm of the year.

Ahead of its arrival, Vietnam's aviation authority suspended flights at two airports in the central region. Some passenger trains have also been suspended.

Authorities have urged people to stay indoors, warning of flash floods and landslides.

It has also ordered the evacuation of more than half a million residents across the central provinces of Thanh Hoa, Quang Tri, Hue and Da Nang. Meanwhile road travel has been suspended in Ha Tinh, a northern coastal province.

Typhoon Kajiki has now made landfall in Vietnam. But in the hours before, parts of the country were battered by strong winds and heavy rain.

Here's some of the latest pictures.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Image source, Reuters

The storm has made landfall in Vietnam, the country's national weather forecasting says.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting says at the moment winds are around 118-133km/h (73-82mph).

Typhoon Kajiki moved west through the South China Sea in recent days - towards Vietnam.

It's expected to bring strong winds and up to 300-400mm of rain. Our colleagues at BBC Weather have the forecast.

Image source, Reuters

Vietnam has ordered more than 586,000 people to evacuate ahead of a powerful typhoon expected to make landfall on Monday evening local time.

Typhoon Kajiki packs winds of up to 166km/h (103mph) and is expected to bring heavy rain, flooding and landslides.

Vietnamese authorities say they expect it to be as powerful as Typhoon Yagi, which killed around 300 people and caused billions in damage when it hit Vietnam last year.

The storm, which earlier skirted past China's Hainan island, has already brought heavy rain and strong winds to southern China.

We'll keep you updated with the latest news as it happens.