According to the National Center for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, the storm’s maximum sustained winds were 102 km/h at 4 p.m. Tuesday and it was moving west-northwest at 15 km/h.

At 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Yagi is expected to be about 730 kilometers east of China’s Hainan Island. Wind speed will reach 89 to 117 kilometers per hour and continue its west-northwest trajectory at 10 kilometers per hour.

By 13:00 on Thursday, the storm will be about 400 km from Hainan Island. The wind speed will reach 149 km/h and maintain its west-northwest movement at 10-15 km/h.

As of 1 p.m. Friday, Yagi is expected to be in the waters east of Hainan Island. Wind speed will be 166 km/h and will continue to move west-northwest at 10 to 15 km/h.

Expected direction of storm Yagi in the East Sea. Photo courtesy of the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting

Due to the influence of Yagi, strong winds and waves of three to five meters high are expected in the northeastern part of the East Sea from Tuesday.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has reported that the storm’s current maximum sustained wind speed is 90 km/h. It predicts that it will double to 180 km/h before it reaches Hainan Island.

The Hong Kong Observatory predicts that Yagi will pass north of Hainan Island with wind speeds of up to 175 km/h.

Both agencies expect the intensity of the storm to not decrease significantly once it reaches the Gulf of Tonkin.

According to an emergency directive issued by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday, Yagi is very likely to affect the sea and mainland of the northern and north-central regions.

The Prime Minister advised coastal provinces to consider closing beaches depending on the situation. On land, local authorities should consider evacuating residents from areas at high risk of flooding and landslides.

Mountain provinces and cities have been instructed to relocate people from dangerous areas, ensure the safety of reservoirs and transport routes, and prepare rescue vehicles for deployment if necessary.

The Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Development, Natural Resources and Environment, National Defense, Public Security, Transport, and Industry and Commerce are all tasked with implementing response measures.

This is the third tropical storm to hit the East Sea this year. Storm Prapiron hit Quang Ninh province on July 23, bringing heavy rains to much of the northern region, killing 14 people.