At 2 am on July 31, the storm was centered at about 16.9 N latitude and 123.9 E longitude, about 200 km east from Lei Zhou Peninsula, packing winds of up to 10-11 category, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.
In the next 24-48 hours, it will be moving west-northwest at a speed of 20 km per hour and will continue strengthening. On the morning of August 2, strongest wind power near the storm’s center in the waters of Hong Kong-Macau is estimated at 15-16 category or 135-150 kph.
In an urgent telegram on July 31, the National Steering Committee for Flood and Storm Prevention and Control asked northern mountainous and coastal provinces from Quang Ninh to Binh Dinh as well as relevant agencies to brace themselves for the powerful storm.
