Storm Kujira forms over East Vietnam Sea, poses no threat to Vietnam’s coast or mainland

Kujira is the third storm to enter the East Vietnam Sea this year.

At 7:00 am on Wednesday, the storm’s center was located over the southeastern part of the northern East Vietnam Sea, with maximum sustained winds near the center reaching 62-74 kph and gusts up to 89-102 kph.

The storm is forecast to travel east-northeast at 5-10 kph during the day before crossing Luzon Island in the Philippines and gradually weakening into a tropical depression.

By 7:00 am on Thursday, the tropical depression is expected to be northwest of Luzon with sustained winds of 50-61 kph and gusts of 75-88 kph. It may continue moving slowly east-northeast before weakening into a low-pressure area over northeastern Luzon later that day.

The weather agency said the storm is not expected to impact Vietnam’s coastline or mainland.

However, the storm is generating rough seas over the southeastern waters of the northern East Vietnam Sea, where winds are forecast at 39-61 kph with gusts to 75-88 kph, adding that waves are expected to reach 2-4 meters.

Vessels operating in these waters may face hazardous conditions, including thunderstorms, strong winds, and high waves.

Meanwhile, heavy rain began affecting northern Vietnam and the north-central region on Tuesday evening and is forecast to continue through Thursday, raising the risk of flooding in low-lying areas and flash floods and landslides in mountainous regions.

Weather radar and observations from the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting showed moderate to heavy rain across the Red River Delta, Quang Ninh, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, and Nghe An on Tuesday.

Rainfall between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm reached 37-74 mm in Quang Ninh Province and about 60 mm in Nghe An.

From now until Thursday, northern Vietnam and several central Vietnamese provinces from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri are forecast to receive 90-170 mm of rainfall, with isolated locations exceeding 250 mm.

On Thursday night, the northwestern region, the southern Red River Delta and areas from Thanh Hoa to Quang Tri will possibly receive an additional 10-30 mm of rain, with isolated totals above 70 mm.

Total rainfall from late Tuesday through Thursday night is forecast to range from 100-200 mm, with some locations exceeding 300 mm.

The agency warned that rainfall exceeding 100 mm within three hours could trigger urban flooding, flash floods, and landslides, particularly in mountainous areas.