Rough seas as storm Phanfone hits East Sea

By Phan Anh   December 25, 2019 | 10:46 pm PT
Rough seas as storm Phanfone hits East Sea
Satellite image of storm Phanfone, December 26, 2019. Photo courtesy of Zoom Earth.
Storm Phanfone has become the eighth storm to hit the East Sea this year, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting has confirmed.

As of 10 a.m. Thursday, the storm's center was about 470 km to the east-northeast of Southwest Cay Islet, with maximum wind speeds between 115 and 135 kph.

In the next 24 hours, the storm is set to move west-northwest at about 10 kph. It would be about 360 km to the northeast of Southwest Cay by 10 a.m. Friday, with maximum wind speeds between 100 and 115 kph.

In the following 24 to 48 hours, Phanfone would continue to move west-northwest at about 10 kph, and would be about 350 kph to the north of Southwest Cay by 10 a.m. Saturday, with maximum wind speeds between 75 and 100 kph.

It is expected to devolve into a tropical depression in the following 48 to 72 hours, the center said.

Rough seas should be expected in the central regions of the the East Sea, internationally as the South China Sea, it added.

The Hong Kong Observatory has said that Phanfone would move across the southern part of the South China Sea Thursday and Friday, before moving to the central part of the South China Sea and weaken gradually during the weekend.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has forecast that the storm would gradually weaken as it moves northwest, and would devolve into a tropical depression by Sunday.

Storm Phanfone, known in the Philippines as Ursula, has destroyed homes, cut off power and stranded travelers in the country. At least 16 people have been killed by Friday noon.

Vietnam is hit by around 10 tropical storms every year. There were nine last year.

 
 
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