Storm Prapiroon heading towards northern Vietnam

According to the National Center for Hydro – Meteorological Forecasting, the storm lay on Hainan at 7 a.m. Monday and is moving northwestward.

The storm is forecast to reach the Gulf of Tonkin by 7 a.m. Tuesday, with maximum wind speed of 74 kph, before moving through Mong Cai Town of Quang Ninh in the afternoon, entering China’s Guangxi Province and weakening into a tropical depression.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasts that storm Prapiroon will approach the Vietnam and China border. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicts that the storm’s winds will be 72 kph as it makes landfall, while the Hong Kong Observatory forecasts 85 kph wind speed.

Due to the storm’s influence, the Gulf of Tonkin, home to Bach Long Vi and Co To islands, saw strong winds and waves of 2-4 meters high on Monday morning.

The coastal area of Quang Ninh Province may be affected by strong winds of 62-74 kph, with sea waves of 1.5-2.5 m high on Tuesday morning.

The storm’s circulation will cause heavy rains in the north from Monday night to Wednesday night. In the coastal and northeastern regions of the north, rainfall will commonly be 100-200 mm, with some places receiving over 250 mm during that period.

This is the second major storm in the South China Sea this year, following the first one in May. The meteorological agency notes that this year’s storms are arriving late, expected to peak between September and November. There are forecasts of 11-13 storms and tropical depressions in the South China Sea, which Vietnam calls the East Sea, with five to seven affecting the Vietnamese mainland.