HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam braced for Typhoon Wipha on Monday as coastal provinces were placed on emergency alert and airlines canceled flights ahead of the storm’s expected landfall early Tuesday.

Tropical Storm Wipha is edging slowly towards Vietnam and is set to cross the coast near the northern port city of Haiphong around noon on Tuesday, bringing heavy rain that could lead to flash flooding.

Laos, the Philippines and Vietnam are on high alert as Typhoon Wipha continues to sweep across Sout-East Asia since the weekend - damaging homes and infrastructures as well as displacing thousands of people.