HCMC – Storm Wutip has intensified to level 11 with gusts up to level 14 and is forecast to move into the Gulf of Tonkin before reaching China, bringing strong winds and rough seas.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 10 a.m. on June 13, the eye of Storm Wutip, with winds at level 11 and gusts up to level 14, was located over the southwestern waters of Hainan Island, China.
This was an unexpected development, as forecasts from major international meteorological agencies had projected the storm would reach a maximum intensity of level 10 with gusts up to level 13.
In the next 24 hours, the storm is forecast to shift northwest and accelerate, moving at 10-15 km/h into the Gulf of Tonkin, passing by Hainan Island before making landfall on China’s Leizhou Peninsula with little change in intensity.
By 10 a.m. on June 14, the storm’s center is expected to be over the Leizhou Peninsula, maintaining strength at level 11 with gusts up to level 14.
The storm is then expected to turn north-northeast, move at around 15 km/h, and weaken into a tropical depression.
The storm is expected to bring strong winds of level 7-8 to the Gulf of Tonkin, including Co To and Bach Long Vi islands, with areas near the storm’s center experiencing winds of level 9-11 and gusts up to level 14.
Waves may reach 2-4 meters, and up to 5 meters in the eastern region, leading to rough sea conditions.
