Tropical Storm Chanthu heads for China

Tropical depression 4W intensified to a tropical storm yesterday in the South China Sea and is currently heading for China's Hainan and Guandong provinces likely making landfall in souther Guandong province by Thursday morning. The storm is expected to grow to a Category 1 typhoon before striking land.

Tropical storm Chanthu may make landfall in south China Thursday (Xinhua)

BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Severe tropical storm Chanthu is expected to make landfall in south China's Guangdong and Hainan provinces on Thursday, the National Meteorological Center (NMC) said Wednesday.

Chanthu, the third tropical storm of the year, which strengthened early Wednesday, is forecast to move northwestward at a speed of 15 km per hour, said a statement on the website of the China Meteorological Administration, the NMC's parent organization.

The storm's maximum sustained winds were 108 km per hour at 5 a.m. and may strengthen further within the next 24 hours.

The tropical storm would bring gales and heavy rains to southern and eastern coastal areas of China, including Guangdong and Hainan, over the next 24 hours.

Vietnam's northern provinces are also keeping an eye out in case Chanthu moves towards teh northwest as Typhoon Conson did just last week. Conson brought heavy rain and flooding to the region.

The projected path of Chanthu has been shifting towards the west as the storm progressed from the Philippines and approaches China. The initial projected track had Chanthu making landfall in Hong Kong. Now the center of the track is close to Hainan Island. Hainan, Guandong and northern Vietnam all need to be an alert as this storm progresses towards land.

Storm Chanthu strengthens in East Sea (VOV News)

Central and northern coastal provinces are bracing themselves for another tropical storm which is moving towards the northeastern region and is likely to regain its strength.
Provinces from Binh Dinh to Quang Ninh, which have just resisted storm Conson, are keeping a close watch on the direction of Chanthu churning through the East Sea.

At 13.00 on July 20, Chanthu was positioned at 17.8 degrees north latitude and 115.3 degrees east longitude, about 330km east of Hoang Sa archipelago, packing winds of between 62-88kph near its centre.

In the next 24 hours, the storm – the second of its kind to hit the East Sea this year - is expected to move north-west at a speed of 15kph and continue to strengthen further.

It is forecast to regain its strength on July 22 with winds gusting between 89 and 119kph and head for the southern coast of China. It is likely to move between north and northeast and weaken into a tropical low pressure system the following day.