Reuters reported that the two tropical storms are expected to bring gusts of wind and heavy rain to the eastern sea of China this week, with the first storm forecast to make landfall on July 21.
According to the latest typhoon information from Chinese typhoon forecasters, Typhoon Prapiroon - named after a rain god of Thailand - is expected to make landfall in Hainan Island, the southernmost tip of China on July 21 as a strong tropical storm. This is the first tropical storm to hit China this year.
On the same morning, the tropical depression in the East Sea strengthened into a storm - storm No. 2 in 2024 and was internationally named Prapiroon.
At 7:00 a.m. on July 21, local time, the center of Typhoon Prapiroon was about 275 km southeast of Van Ninh city on Hainan island.
At 1:00 p.m. on July 21, the center of the storm was at about 16.8 degrees north latitude; 111.2 degrees east longitude. The strongest wind near the storm center is level 8 (62-74 km/h), gusting to level 10, moving west-northwest at a speed of 10-15 km/h.
China's National Meteorological Center said maximum wind speeds near the center of the storm will reach 108 km/h when Prapiroon makes landfall, and forecast heavy rain in Hainan and along the coast of Guangdong, China's most populous province.
Meanwhile, the second storm, internationally named Gaemi, strengthened from the tropical depression at 3:00 a.m. on July 21. The center of Typhoon Gaemi is located at about 16.6 degrees north latitude, 126.7 degrees east longitude, 490 km east of Casiguran, Aurora, Philippines.
According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, at 11:00 a.m. on July 21, Typhoon Gaemi had maximum sustained winds of 85 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 115 km/h.
The storm is moving westward at 20 km/h, expected to cross the northern tip of Taiwan (China), then make landfall in China as a typhoon, with wind speeds of up to 180 km/h.
The Taiwan Meteorological Administration (China) expects Gaemi to be closest to the island on July 24-25, bringing heavy rain.
Extreme rainfall has hit southern, central and eastern China during the flood season that started earlier than usual this year.
On July 20, the Three Gorges Dam in Hubei Province, central China, accelerated flood discharge as water into the reservoir increased significantly due to heavy rain in the upstream of the Yangtze River.
Record rainfall fell in southern China from April to June, while in the north, dry weather threatened arid fields and crops.
In the northwestern province of Shipwreck, a bridge collapsed on the evening of July 19 amid the pouring rain, causing at least 17 cars and 8 trucks to plunge into the river. As of the afternoon of July 20, 12 people were confirmed dead, 31 people and 18 vehicles are still missing.
In southwestern Tu Xuyen province, rescue forces found 8 bodies and brought 4 people to safety at 8:00 p.m. on July 20, after more than 30 people went missing due to flash floods.
