Tropical storm Chaba: Landfall in southern China

A severe tropical storm, known as Chaba internationally (locally Caloy) could be upgraded to a typhoon before making landfall in the Guangdong Province in southern China on Saturday July 2nd.

Torrential downpours are expected with 200-300mm of rain forecast to fall in Hainan and Guangdong, causing severe flooding and devastation.

Heavy rains will also be felt further inland as the system tracks north-westwards through the weekend.

The outer convective bands are also expected to produce high rainfall totals along the rest of the south-east coast of China, including around Hong Kong.

Chaba, alongside Aere (locally Tropical Storm Domeng) are enhancing the southwest monsoon as tropical twins, with heavy rains expected over Central and Southern Luzon, in the Philippines too.

Latest data suggests that Chaba has developed concentric eyewalls, also known as eyewall replacement.

The eyewall replacement cycle is when a new eye begins to develop around the old eye, gradually decreasing in diameter and replacing it.

This tends to reduce the intensity of a storm when it takes place, but, it can also extend the storm’s wind field over a larger area, creating more widespread damage and devastation, alongside a more significant storm surge.

Sustained winds are currently around 63mph, but are forecast to reach around 70-80mph as a category 1 typhoon, before making landfall over the Guangdong Province, in southern China.