Warning of heavy rain as tropical storm Mulan heads to Vietnam

PARTS OF Thailand will be hit by heavy to very heavy rain during August 11-13 as a depression in the South China Sea has strengthened into a tropical storm named “Mulan” and is now moving to make a landfall on the upper part of Vietnam, the Thai Meteorological Department said at 4 p.m. today (August 9).

Mulan is currently centred at about 65 kilometres southeast of China’s Hainan Island with maximum sustained wind near the eye at 65 kilometres an hour. It is moving at 20 km an hour and is expected to move into upper Vietnam on August 11.

The tropical storm will bring heavy to very heavy rain in some parts of the North, Northeast and the East and people in these areas are warned to be careful as torrential rain could lead to flash floods.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong Observatory said today that a No 3 typhoon warning signal will remain in force until 10 p.m. unless tropical storm Mulan increases in strength or moves closer to Hong Kong,  South China Morning Post said.

The alert was upgraded at 11.25 a.m. from a No 1 signal, meaning winds with mean speeds of 41km/h to 62km/h are expected, with kindergartens and some special schools suspending classes.

With the region of gale force winds near the centre of the storm remaining relatively small and still far from the coast of Guangdong, the Observatory said at 4.45 p.m. that the signal would likely stay in effect until 10 p.m.

At the same time a southwesterly monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Thailand’s South and the Gulf of Thailand causing moderate waves in the upper Andaman Sea with these reaching around two metres but rising higher when there is a thunderstorm.

 In the lower Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand waves are around one to two metres high but reaching two metres amidst a thunderstorm. Sailors are urged to proceed with caution.

CAPTION:

A thunderstorm. Top photo: Thomas Gatzweiler (CC BY-SA 2.0), Front Page photo: Tobias Franz  (CC BY 2.0)

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