Storm Talim strengthens in East Sea

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said that at 7 a.m., the storm was 670 km southeast of Leizhou Peninsula, China, heading northwest with a speed of 10-15 kph.

By 7 a.m. Monday, the storm will be at north of East Sea, about 340 km southeast of Leizhou.

The storm is then set to move northwest at a speed of 15 kph. By 7 a.m. on Tuesday, it will enter Leizhou.

By 7 a.m. on Wednesday, the storm will enter Vietnam's northeast region.

The Japan Meteorological Station predicts that the storm will still be strong at 126 kph when it passes through Leizhou and Hainan Island and will decrease to 90 kph when approaching the Vietnamese mainland.

The Hong Kong Observatory forecasts that the storm will still be strong at 140 kph when entering the Gulf of Tonkin and affect the coastal provinces of Quang Ninh, Hai Phong and the northern delta, home to Hanoi.

Nguyen Van Huong, head of the Weather Forecasting Department at the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, said storm Talim would directly affect Quang Ninh and Hai Phong on July 18-19.

However, another possibility is that the storm, after passing through Leizhou, will deviate to the south and expand the effect to the south of the northern delta. This scenario has a low probability but needs to be kept in mind, Huong said.

In addition to strong winds, the storm will cause prolonged heavy rain in the northern region, so Huong suggests localities prepare for heavy rain and urban flooding. The storm can also cause flash floods and landslides in the northern mountainous provinces.

"Heavy rain occurred after many consecutive days of rainstorms and heat, increasing the risk of flash floods and landslides from July 18 in the northern region, especially in provinces like Lang Son, Cao Bang, Ha Giang, Lao Cai and Yen Bai," Huong said.

The National Steering Committee for Disaster Prevention has requested localities from Quang Ninh Province in northern Vietnam to Phu Yen on the south-central coast to monitor the storm's progress and prepare responses.

The provinces are required to evacuate people in low areas with a high risk of flood due to heavy rain and sea level rises, at the same time as reinforcing houses, signs, public constructions, industrial parks, factories, warehouses and power grid systems.

Northern mountainous areas need to evacuate people in locations with high risk of flash floods and landslides and prepare all necessities and equipment to deal with the storm.

Talim is the first storm off Vietnam’s coast this year. The meteorological center said that from July 11 to August 10, tropical convergence tends to be more active and stronger, leading to bad weather such as thunderstorms, tornadoes and big waves.

It is forecasted that there will be two to three tropical depressions and storms formed in the East Sea this year.