TORRENTIAL rain is expected across most parts of the country after category 3 tropical storm Noul makes a landfall in middle of Vietnam and then moves to Thailand’s northeast during September 18-20, Thai Meteorological Department warned this morning (September 16, 2020).
At the same time the southwesterly monsoon across the Andaman Sea, Thailand and Gulf of Thailand will strengthen and also bring more downpour.
Severe rainfalls and strong winds will first hit the Northeast, then the North, Central, East and South. People in risky areas are warned that there is likelihood of flash floods and water runoff with powerful winds possibly uprooting trees and flimsy buildings.
Meanwhile AccuWeather.com also reported that a broad area of low pressure that tracked across the Philippines to start the week, emerged over the warm waters of the South China Sea and organized into a tropical depression on Tuesday, local time, and by Tuesday night had strengthened into tropical storm Noul.
This storm will track to the westward across South China Sea through the end of the week, threatening parts of southeast Asia with flooding rainfall and strong winds.
In the Philippines, this feature is known as tropical depression Leon.
While the storm will be tracking across warm waters, one ingredient needed for tropical systems to develop and strengthen, it is not expected to rapidly intensify.
Moderate wind shear across the southern South China Sea will limit how much Noul is able to strengthen. At this time, Noul is not expected to become a typhoon or gain sustained wind speeds of at least 119 km/h (74 mph).
The storm will continue to bring areas of heavy rain that can lead to flash flooding and landslides in the northwestern Philippines into Thursday before it moves away.
AccuWeather Lead International Meteorologist Jason Nicholls forecasts that the storm will continue to track to the west-northwest through the end of the week and will strike Vietnam as a tropical storm on Friday.
Damaging wind gusts and coastal flooding will occur, mainly near and to the north of the centre of the storm as it approaches the Vietnam coast. The strongest winds may be able to knock over trees and power lines and cause localized damage.
While some rain bands are expected to bring rounds of downpours and strong winds to Hainan in southern China, Noul could bring more widespread impacts to the region if the storm takes a track farther north.
Widespread rainfall totals of 50-100 mm (2-4 inches) are expected from this storm with 100-200 mm (4-8 inches) of rain likely in the mountainous terrain.
This amount of rainfall expected across Vietnam as well as parts of Laos, Cambodia and Thailand as the storm tracks inland can lead to flooding and mudslides.
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Below: This satellite image shows Noul, known as Leon in the Philippines, spinning over the South China Sea on Tuesday night, local time. (CIRA/RAMMB)
