A strong storm will likely hit Vietnam in early December, drastically affecting weather conditions in southern provinces, according to a Ho Chi Minh City-based weather pundit.

Le Thi Xuan Lan, a former official at the southern hydro-meteorological station, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the forecast models of Australia and Japan both showed the possibility of a storm influencing Vietnam.

The storm will form in the maritime area east of the Philippines before entering the East Vietnam Sea, Lan elaborated.

It will travel west and head toward the mainland in southern Vietnam.

The storm will then travel northwest after interacting with a weakening cold spell.

"In terms of time of appearance, the storm has similarities with 2006’s Storm Durian, but the direction is slightly different,” Lan explained.

Before hitting southern Vietnam, the storm will sweep through the maritime area southeast of Vietnam's Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, where many fishing boats are currently operating.

Therefore, residents and authorities need to keep a close watch on the development of the storm.

“The storm is more than one week away, so its development may change due to the impact of other weather phenomena,” Lan stated.

“However, the possibility of this storm affecting southern localities is very high.”

It will not reach the level of a typhoon, but it will be a strong storm, the weather expert said.

Le Dinh Quyet, deputy head of the forecasting department under the southern hydro-meteorological station, also confirmed the forecast of the storm.

There is not yet an official forecast about the storm’s direction and the affected area as its time of appearance is still far away.

The rainy season in southern Vietnam is expected to end around late November and early December, Quyet continued.

However, unseasonal rains will occur in the region quite often due to the La Nina phenomenon.

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