A tropical depression in the waters off Quang Tri Province to Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam strengthened into a storm on Wednesday at noon, making it the fifth to hit Vietnam this year, according to the national weather center.

The storm was centered some 270 kilometers northwest of Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago in the East Vietnam Sea and roughly 150 kilometers east of the waters off Quang Tri Province and Quang Ngai Province at 11:00 am.

The system was traveling north-northwest at around 10 kilometers per hour, packing winds blowing at 74 kilometers per hour.

It will likely maintain its direction and speed and become stronger over the next 24 hours.

The storm No.5 could be spotted in the eastern waters of the Gulf of Tonkin by 10:00 am on Thursday.

It is expected to move a bit slower at five kilometers per hour with the unchanged direction over the next 48 hours before hitting the Gulf of Tonkin at 10:00 am on Friday.

The storm then may change its direction, traveling south-southwest and weakening to a tropical depression in the Gulf of Tonkin on Saturday.

The national weather center said the system could slowly move south-southwest and downgrade further over the next four days.

Due to the impact of the storm, the southwestern waters of the East Vietnam Sea, the waters from Quang Tri Province to Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam, and the Gulf of Tonkin will probably experience strong winds and rough seas starting Wednesday night.

The storm could also bring heavy rainfall to central Vietnamese provinces from Quang Tri to Thua Thien Hue between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.

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