Typhoon Mekkhala is expected to strengthen into a super typhoon within the next 12 to 24 hours as it continues gaining power over the western Pacific Ocean, according to Vietnam's national weather agency.

Although the storm is forecast to become one of the strongest systems of the 2026 Pacific typhoon season, meteorologists say it currently poses no direct threat to Vietnam and is not expected to enter the East Sea, known internationally as the East Sea.

Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on Monday afternoon that Mekkhala continues to intensify rapidly and has developed a clearly defined eye, a key indicator of a mature and powerful tropical cyclone.

At 1 p.m. local time on June 22, the storm's center was located about 550 kilometers east-northeast of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines. Sustained winds near the center had reached Level 15 on Vietnam's wind scale, with gusts exceeding Level 17.

Forecasters expect Mekkhala to continue moving west-northwest at approximately 15 kilometers per hour over the next day. During that period, the storm is forecast to strengthen further, potentially reaching Level 16 intensity, the threshold used by Vietnamese meteorologists to classify a super typhoon.

After reaching peak strength, Mekkhala is projected to gradually shift northward before turning northeast and moving toward waters south of Japan, where cooler ocean conditions are expected to weaken the system.

Vietnamese authorities said there is currently no indication that the storm will track toward the East Sea. However, the situation continues to be monitored closely due to the storm's rapid development and extreme intensity.

The weather agency also provided a broader outlook for the 2026 tropical cyclone season, noting that El Nino conditions are expected to reduce the number of storms forming over the East Sea compared with the long-term average.

Meteorologists forecast between eight and ten tropical storms or depressions could develop in the East Sea this year, with three to five potentially affecting Vietnam's mainland.

Storm activity is expected to be concentrated between July and September in northern Vietnam and between October and November in central provinces. Forecasters also warned that southern Vietnam could face storm-related impacts during the final months of the year.

Mekkhala, a name contributed by Thailand to the international tropical cyclone naming system, refers to a deity associated with lightning and thunder in Southeast Asian mythology.

The storm is the seventh named tropical cyclone to form in the northwestern Pacific basin during the 2026 season.

Bao Anh