According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), the depression was located approximately 100 km east of the Bach Long Vi special zone at 7 a.m. Thursday. The system was packing maximum sustained winds of 61 kph, with gusts reaching up to 88 kph, while moving northwest at a 5 kph.
Meteorologists expect the system to intensify into a tropical storm by 7 a.m. on Saturday.
At that time, it is projected to be about 190 km east of Hai Phong and 120 km northeast of Bach Long Vi. Sustained winds are forecast to increase to between 61 and 74 kph, with gusts topping 102 kph.
The predicted trajectory of a tropical depression near the Gulf of Tonkin. Graphics by Vietnam Disaster Monitoring System
The storm's trajectory is expected to be erratic. Initial forecasts suggest it will move slowly northward before pivoting west at 3 to 5 kph through Saturday morning. Over the subsequent 48 to 72 hours, the system may reverse course and drift slowly southward.
