Tropical storm Pabuk strengthens before weakening near Vietnam's southern coast

On the afternoon of December 23rd,

According to Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, as of 1:00 PM, the newly-formed storm, named Pabuk, was located northwest of the Spratly Islands, moving west-northwest at a speed of 10 km/h. By 1:00 PM tomorrow, it is predicted to maintain its strength at level 8, located over the southwestern part of the central South China Sea, while slowing down to a speed of 5-10 km/h.

Afterward, due to interaction with cold air, Pabuk is expected to change course towards the west-southwest. By 1:00 PM on December 25th, the storm will weaken into a tropical depression, with winds reducing to level 6 as it approaches the coastal areas from Phu Yen to Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency forecasts that Pabuk will remain a tropical storm today but will weaken into a tropical depression by tomorrow, entering the southern central coast of Vietnam. Similarly, the Hong Kong Observatory predicts that Pabuk will weaken into a tropical depression when it reaches the waters near Binh Thuan Province.