Tropical storm creeping toward Vietnamese waters

A tropical depression developed into a storm this morning in waters known internationally as the South China Sea.

At 7 a.m., the center of the storm was located 270 kilometers (168 miles) to the east of the central Philippines with maximum wind speeds of 75 kilometers per hour.

Over the next 24 hours, the storm will move west at 5 kilometers per hour. 

“Storm Kai-Tak is looking complicated. Please pay attention to weather broadcasts,” said the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

According to forecasters, more storms and tropical depressions can be expected over the next three months in the south of the East Sea, Vietnam's name for the South China Sea.

There is also a strong chance that the 2018 stormy season will start earlier than usual in the north of the East Sea.

There have been 14 storms so far this year in the East Sea including Typhoon Damrey, which inflicted heavy damage on the south-central region in early November.

According to official reports, natural disasters left 390 people dead or missing in Vietnam in the first 11 months of the year and injured 657 others, while causing damage worth around VND52.2 trillion ($2.34 billion).