Storm Noru strengthens, to hit Vietnam with 183 kph winds

It lay centered in the southeastern part of the Paracels archipelago at 7 a.m. Tuesday, with maximum winds of 183 kph, up from 149 kph the previous night.

The National Center for Hydro and Meteorological Forecasting said the storm would continue to move west at 20-25 kph on Tuesday and could get stronger.

The maximum wind speed will maintain at 183 kph by 7 p.m. Tuesday, when it would be around 170 km from Da Nang and 120 km from southern neighbor Quang Nam Province.

By 7 a.m. Wednesday it would move slightly southward to be over Quang Tri, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Nam and Quang Ngai Provinces and Da Nang, and pack winds of up to 149 kph.

It is forecast to weaken into a tropical depression in the next hours and then a low pressure zone over Thailand.

Japan Meteorological Agency said the storm would make landfall between Thua Thien Hue and Binh Dinh provinces with winds of 162 kph.

The Hong Kong Observatory said it would strengthen into a super typhoon with winds of 185 kph.

Forecast course of storm Noru towards central Vietnam as of 4 a.m. September 27, 2022. Graphics by Vietnam Disaster Management Authority