Typhoon Kalmaegi slammed into Vietnam, forcing authorities to cancel hundreds of flights and order people to stay indoors, two days after the storm started sweeping across the Philippines, killing at least 114 people.

Kalmaegi - packing winds of up to 149 kph (93 mph) blew roofs off houses and downed trees and telegraph poles.

It whipped up waves as high as 10 metres (30 feet) as it hit the central region's coast, the agency added.

Officials closed six airports and the government said more than 260,000 people in Gia Lai province had been moved to safety.

Kalmaegi is the 13th storm to hit Vietnam this year, and among the most powerful.

The government said it had placed more than 268,000 soldiers on standby for search and rescue operations.

It warned of floods in low-lying areas and impacts on agriculture, including in the Central Highlands, the main coffee-growing region. 

As the storm approached, hotels and homes along Cua Dai beach near the ancient UNESCO-listed town of Hoi An were shuttered. 

Near the coastal city of Hue, farmers were still recovering from floods this week that killed 47 people. 

Rice farmer Nguyen Van Rin, 42, said the last floods had drowned his livestock and poultry.

"Kalmaegi will flood us for the fourth time and I am afraid it will be quite bad," he said after guiding his boat across a road as vehicles moved slowly through the water.

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