Tropical storm Nock-ten has weakened into a tropical low-pressure system this morning when it passed through the northern part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago.

The National Centre of Hydro-meteorological Forecasting this morning warned that the tropical low-pressure system was making the sea rough in the northern part of the archipelago.

By 7am this morning, the tropical low-pressure system was at 220km west of the archipelago, with strongest wind speed of 50km per hour. It was moving west at 20-25km per hour.

In another movement, the centre forecast that a cold spell, starting from midnight Monday, would continue in the northern localities. The lowest temperatures dropped to 13 degree Celsius in Hanoi and 10 degrees Celsius in the mountainous provinces.

Meanwhile, torrential rains, triggered by a combination of the cold spell and the weather disturbance due to the storm, with rainfall of up to 300mm, would blanket the central region between December 29 and January 1. Floods are predicted to affect major rivers from Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa provinces.

Localities from Quang Tri to Khanh Hoa were put on high alert for flash floods and landslides, especially in the mountainous areas, the centre said. 

VNS