Storm Nesat to weaken as it approaches Vietnam

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, the system will move at 15 kph in a west-southwesterly direction, and by 4 a.m. Wednesday will be north of the Paracels with winds dropping to around 130 kph.

It will then meet a cold spell from the north and weaken.

By 4 a.m. Thursday it would have moved to 100 km north of Quang Binh Province, home to famous caves including the world's largest Son Doong, with winds of 74 kph.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm's intensity peaked early Tuesday morning when it packed winds of 145 kph.

On Wednesday night, when it approaches the central Vietnamese coast, it would weaken and continue to do so as it makes landfall.

Storm Nesat's projected route. Graphics by Vietnam Disaster Management Authority

Nesat is the sixth storm to hit Vietnam this year.

It follows the recent Storm Son Ca that caused flooding in the central region and killed 10 people.

By January another three to five storms and tropical depressions are expected, most of them impacting the central and southern regions.