Morning downpours hit Ho Chi Minh City despite distant storm Kujira

The Southern Regional Hydrometeorological Center said a tropical convergence zone stretching across northern and north-central Vietnam and connecting with storm Kujira over the northern East Vietnam Sea had generated widespread convective clouds, creating unstable weather over southern Vietnam.

A moderate southwest monsoon also contributed to atmospheric disturbances, triggering showers and thunderstorms across the region.

Satellite imagery, weather radar, and lightning detection data showed convective clouds developing over several parts of Ho Chi Minh City early on Thursday, including Binh Tan, Tan Son, Tan Vinh Loc, Binh My, Dong Thanh, and Binh Loi, while another storm cloud mass over neighboring Tay Ninh Province was moving toward the city.

The weather center forecast that thunderstorms would spread to more parts of the city during the morning, bringing rainfall of 5-20 millimeters, with some areas expected to receive more than 25 millimeters.

The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting also forecast scattered showers and thunderstorms across southeastern Vietnam on Thursday afternoon and evening, with rainfall of 15-30 millimeters and isolated downpours exceeding 80 millimeters.

Storm Kujira, the third storm to form in the East Vietnam Sea this year, strengthened from a tropical depression early on Wednesday over the southeastern waters of the northern part of the sea.

However, the national weather agency said it was forecast to move east-northeast toward Luzon in the Philippines before weakening back into a tropical depression, meaning it was not expected to affect Vietnam's mainland or coastal areas.

The agency nevertheless warned that vessels operating in the southeastern waters of the northern East Vietnam Sea could still encounter strong winds, rough seas, and high waves associated with the storm.