The new low pressure area will pass south of the Spratly Islands and potentially increase into tropical depression, then strengthen into a storm.

A tropical depression is forming and heading to the South of Vietnam. Photo: nchmf.gov.vn

In a bad scenario, the new low pressure area may become a storm, affecting the Central and Southern provinces of Vietnam, according to the National Center for Hydro-meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF). 

In the afternoon of December 30, NCHMF’s experts had an online seminar to analyze and make judgments about the weakening of tropical depressions near the East Sea (South China Sea).

Tran Quang Nang, head of the Weather Forecast Division at NCHF, said the tropical depression near the East Sea weakened into a low pressure area while a new low pressure area appeared.

In a bad scenario analyzed by the NCHMF, the new low pressure area will pass south of the Spratly Islands and potentially increase into tropical depression. After that, it may strengthen into a storm.

If this is the case, the weather in Central region and South of Vietnam will be more volatile. This depression, if strengthens, would be combined with the influence of cold and turbulent air in the East Sea, and cause heavy rains to the Central and Southern provinces.

Especially, from the afternoon and night of December 31, the South Central Coast will suffer from heavy rains which would last 2-3 days, depending on the performance of the tropical depression.

Heavy rains in Central Vietnam can last from the night of December 31 to the next three days. At the same time, the circulation of the low pressure area will cause rain with thunderstorms, lightning and strong winds for Southern provinces in the next 2-3 days.

In this case, from the night of December 31, strong winds are forecast out at sea, triggered by cold air masses. In the Tonkin Gulf and the northern East Sea, northeastern winds may strengthen to level seven, causing rough seas. The northeasterly wind will also blow strongly in coastal areas in the central and southern regions.

Tran Quang Nang noted the northern midland and mountainous region still suffer from cold weather of as low as 4-7 degrees Celsius, or even lower than 3 degrees Celsius at higher altitudes. The cold snap will last four to five days, so Hanoians and residents in northern mountainous provinces will celebrate the New Year 2019 in chilly weather.

Hanoitimes