Tropical Storm Talim is looming in the South China Sea. It is strengthening and heading for a collision with southern China and northern Vietnam. During the next few days, it will generate dangerous winds and waves, and heavy rainfall.

Fuelled by warm water, Tropical Storm Talim is expected to reach typhoon strength (sustained winds exceeding 118 km/h) in the next 24 hours. It will then be called Typhoon Talim. This is equivalent to a severe tropical cyclone in the Australian region.

Image: Himawari-9 visible satellite imagery at 2:56 UTC Sunday 16th with forecast track cone from the Joint Typhoon Warning Center

The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre are expecting that Tropical Storm Talim will make a first landfall over the Leizhou Penisula and then a final landfall over northern Vietnam. After the second landfall, the friction caused by the rugged terrain will weaken the winds. However, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall will continue even as the winds weaken. Models are predicting large areas being hammered with over 200mm of rainfall and some areas over 300mm (seen as blue shading in the image below).

Image: Rainfall totals from 12 UTC Saturday 15th to 0 UTC Thursday 20th according to the ECMWF model.

The latest information and forecast track for this system can be found at Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC)