Storm Nalgae changes course, gains strength
VOV.VN - Tropical storm Nalgae, the sixth of its kind to hit the East Sea this year, has changed its course, and is forecast to gather strength when it is swirling across Vietnam’s Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago.
At 7am on October 31, Nalgae was located 580km east of the Paracel islands, packing winds of nearly 102kph near its centre.
In the next 24 to 48 hours, the storm is likely to move between north and northwest instead of west as seen in previous days, with winds gusting 117 kph near its eye.
Several regional weather forecasting stations predicted Nalgae would lose its strength into a tropical depression after it strikes China’s Hainan island and before it enters the Gulf of Tonkin heading toward the north-central coast of Vietnam.
The National Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control has requested localities from Quang Ninh to Binh Thuan to keep a close watch on the development of the storm, closely monitor vessels in danger areas and put forces on standby.
Nalgae pounded the Philippines two days ago, causing severe flooding and landslides, and claiming at least 45 lives.
