Vietnam closed airports and evacuated thousands of people in areas under storm threat on Sunday, as intensifying Typhoon Bualoi barrelled towards the country, days after causing at least 10 deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines.

The typhoon was generating winds of up to 133 km/h as of early evening on Sunday and is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam sometime late tonight or early Monday, slowing as it nears the coast, state-run Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

"This is a rapidly moving storm — nearly twice the average speed — with strong intensity and a broad area of impact," the national weather forecast agency said.