Residents in Vietnam's central and coastal provinces have been instructed to leave by 5 p.m. Tuesday before Typhoon Molave makes landfall Wednesday, according to Vietnam's national news agency.
People and all vessels have been told to find shelter. Schools in the central region will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
As many as 1.3 million people will be fleeing their homes ahead of Molave which is recording wind speeds of 125 kilometers (77 miles) an hour and gusts of up to 150 kilometers an hour.
The Vietnam Red Cross Society is already on the ground responding to recent flooding. It is delivering essentials and helping people to safe places.
The Philippines island of Luzon was hit by the typhoon Monday and about a dozen fishermen are reported missing.
Called Typhoon Quinta in the Philippines it was the 17th storm to hit the country this year, local news and Reuters reported. Port operations were suspended in Manila but no significant damage has been reported.
The country is still recovering from the effects of Super Typhoon Haiyan in 2013 - one of the strongest ever with 150 miles per hour winds. Haiyan left more than 6,000 dead and 1,800 missing.
Meanwhile, floods and landslides have killed 130 people and left 20 missing in Vietnam this month.
"This is a very strong typhoon that will impact a large area," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said according to Reuters.
"Troops must deploy full force to support people, including mobilizing helicopters, tanks and other means of transportation if needed," Phuc said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Thailand the storm is expected to start having effects Thursday before it weakens, according to local experts.
By Thursday Molave will weaken to a Category 1 typhoon and bring heavy rain to southern Laos before moving into Thailand and bringing heavy rains to the Northeast.
It will then weaken to a tropical storm and bring moderate to heavy rainfall in the North, Central and West of Thailand.
