Tropical Storm Koto is continuing to weaken over the central East Sea and is forecast to weaken into a low-pressure area at sea due to the influence of a cold air mass moving from the north.
According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF), as of 4 a.m. Monday, Koto was located over the northwestern part of the central East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, registering maximum sustained winds of 74 kph and moving very slowly.
After maintaining its intensity for two days, the storm has weakened by one level, with its track becoming erratic due to competing weather systems.
By 4 a.m. Tuesday, the storm is expected to weaken to a tropical depression with winds of 39–49 kph. It will be about 170 km east of the coast of Gia Lai–Dak Lak, moving southwest at about 5 kph.
By 4 a.m. Wednesday, the system is forecast to further weaken into a low-pressure area over the waters between Gia Lai and Khanh Hoa provinces.
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A predicted trajectory of Storm Koto in the central East Sea. Graphics by Vietnam Disasters Monitoring System |
The weakening is attributed both to the southward-moving cold air and the storm reaching the end of its life cycle.
Though it was still in the sea, its impact has so far caused damage for Vietnam, killing one person and leaving three others missing.
International weather agencies corroborate the weakening trend of the storm: The Japan Meteorological Agency reported current winds at 72 kph, forecasting a drop to 65 kph later on Monday and below storm strength on Tuesday while Hong Kong Observatory estimates the storm’s current winds at 65 kph and similarly predicts a weakening within the next 24 hours.
Koto formed from a tropical depression east of the central Philippines, strengthened into a storm, and entered the East Sea on the night of Nov. 25. It reached its peak intensity at 118-133 kph on Nov. 27, when it was 190 km from Southwest Cay Island, part of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Islands in the East Sea, before slowing and beginning its weakening phase.
The East Sea has recorded 15 storms and six tropical depressions since the start of the year, the highest number in 30 years, surpassing the record set in 2017. Storms and floods this year have resulted in more than 400 deaths and caused economic damage exceeding VND85 trillion (US$3.2 billion).
