-A tropical depression has strengthened into storm Chaba in the East Sea and is likely to affect northern coastal provinces of Vietnam in the coming days, according to the National Centre for Hydro-meterorological Forecasting. At 07:00 am on Thursday, Chaba was about 430 km east of the Hoang Sa (Paracel) Islands of Vietnam in the East Sea.

The storm is anticipated to move north-northwest at a speed 10 km/h and gain further strength, with winds gusting 88 km/h near its eye.

Weather experts forecast that Chaba would pound China’s mainland on Saturday and then affect northern provinces of Vietnam such as Lang Son and Quang Ninh.

The storm will cause heavy rain and high sea waves of 3-5m on the way it moves toward the mainland.

Chaba is the first tropical storm in the East Sea this year. According to weather experts, there would be 10 and 12 storms and tropical depressions in the East Sea this year, of which four to six storms would directly affect the Vietnamese mainland.

Source: VOV5