Tropical Storm Kujira entered the Gulf of Tonkin on Tuesday morning after battering China’s Hainan Island and will bring torrential rains, along with possible flash floods, to northern Vietnam, the national weather agency has warned. At 8:00 am on Tuesday, the storm was centered on Hainan Island in an area about 280km southeast of Mong Cai City in northern Vietnam, packing winds of 60-75km and gusts of 75-102km, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on Tuesday. Storm Kujira later entered the gulf and is now moving northwest at 10-15km toward the border between China and Vietnam.  Due to the storm, the Gulf of Tonkin will experience rough seas and strong winds of up to 102kph from this morning. The storm’s movement in the East Vietnam Sea brought cool air and rain to the central Vietnamese region, helping cool down the baking weather that has raged there since early May, with high temperatures having reached 42 degrees Celsius in some areas. At 7:00 pm Tuesday, the storm will be centered about 130km southeast of Mong Cai City, with the same strong winds. The storm will continue moving northwest at the same speed before weakening into a tropical depression. From Tuesday evening, the northern province of Quang Ninh will have winds of 39-61kph, together with squalls of up to 74kph. Meanwhile, the northern Vietnamese city of Hai Phong and other northern localities such as Bac Giang and Hai Duong Provinces will suffer from squalls of 50-74kph. The storm will bring heavy rains to northern Vietnam, especially in mountainous, midland, and northeast provinces, whereas many rivers and springs in the region may experience high water levels, causing flooding and landslides. The Vietnamese localities facing a high risk of flash floods and landslides include Quang Ninh, Lang Son, Cao Bang, Bac Can, Bac Giang, Thai Nguyen, Phu Tho, Tuyen Quang and Ha Giang, the center warned. At 7:00 am on Wednesday, the depression will hit the Vietnam-China border, with winds of 40-50kph and squalls of up to 74kph. At 7:00 pm tomorrow, the low pressure system will reach the mountainous area of Cao Bang Province that borders China. The system will continue to bring medium to heavy rains to northern Vietnam.

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