Kajiki made landfall in Vietnam as a tropical storm, bringing rain and flooding in coastal provinces late Monday afternoon.

The national weather agency said the typhoon, which packed winds up to 117 kph when hitting Vietnam's central region, was bringing torrential rain that triggered flash flood and landslide alerts.

The typhoon blew away billboards and the roofs of buildings, uprooted trees and knocked down electric poles, state media VTV reported.

It also said the typhoon hit the coast during high tides that caused flooding in Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and schools and airports closed as the country braces for Typhoon Kajiki, its strongest storm of the year so far.

The typhoon started as a weak tropical depression on 22 August, but grew into a powerful storm in less than two days, matching last year's Typhoon Yagi as one of the region's fastest-growing, according to state media.

Its rapid strengthening forced Vietnamese authorities to rush emergency measures as strong winds and heavy rain hit the region.

One man in Nghe An province died Friday after being electrocuted while trying to secure his roof ahead of the storm, state media reported.

The storm is expected to move inland into Laos and northern Thailand.

Last year, Typhoon Yagi killed at least 300 people and caused $3.3 billion in damage.