Wipha has remained steady but its winds are forecast to increase from 88 kph to 89-117 kph as it intensifies and hits the Gulf of Tonkin and Vietnam’s coast.

HANOI: Tropical Storm Wipha (Storm No. 3) is closing in on northern Vietnam after entering mainland southern China early on July 20, bringing heavy rains, strong winds and heightened risks of flash floods and landslides across large parts of the country.

Torrential rains from Storm No. 3 are expected to flood many Hanoi streets, with water levels surpassing half a meter in some districts.

Thailand is bracing for heavy rain this week after tropical storm Wipha triggered the opening of an around-the-clock monitoring centre.

Wipha is expected to strengthen, with winds reaching level 10-11 and gusts up to level 14 as it moves west-southwest at around 15km/h.

Storm No. 3, internationally known as Typhoon Wipha, passed north of China’s Leizhou Peninsula on the morning of July 21 and entered the northern Gulf of Tonkin, posing a growing threat to Vietnam’s northern and north-central coastal regions,