A powerful typhoon has battered Vietnam’s coastal provinces, with strong winds and rains,  falling trees and tearing the roofs off houses.

Reports have it, that Schools and airports were closed and almost 600,000 people across the country were ordered to leave their homes ahead of Typhoon Kajiki’s arrival on Monday afternoon in the coastal province of Ha Tinh.

Vietnam’s meteorological center says the typhoon could trigger flash floods and landslides, and 400 communes across six provinces have been put on alert.

The typhoon had earlier skirted China’s southern coast inflicting damage to roads, water supply systems and infrastructure, as it made its way towards Vietnam.

Authorities had earlier said the typhoon could be the country’s strongest storm this year.