Brewing tropical cyclone puts Philippines, China and Vietnam back on alert

By Courtney Spamer, AccuWeather meteorologist

& Eric Leister, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

As the tropics continue to be active across the globe, the West Pacific Ocean basin looks to be no different in the coming week.

Following behind Podul, which traversed the South China Sea earlier this week, the region could be the breeding ground of more tropical systems in the Western Pacific during the week ahead.

"Meteorologists are monitoring a broad area of low pressure near the northern Philippines which will be moving into the South China Sea for the end of the weekend," said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty.

Despite Podul moving across this area in recent days, water temperatures remain more than warm enough to foster further development of another tropical cyclone.

Should the system strengthen to become a tropical storm in the Western Pacific Ocean, it would obtain the name Lingling. In the Philippines, this tropical system would be referred to Kabayan.

Following development, it is quite possible that the weather pattern across southeastern Asia could steer the system to follow a similar track that Podul took earlier this week.

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"Areas across Vietnam and Laos will be threatened by heavy, tropical rainfall for the second time within about a week," added Douty.

Even if the budding Lingling were to deliver less rain to the region, the already wet ground could further exacerbate flooding problems and mudslides.

One scenario that would spare Vietnam and Laos from a direct hit would involve this tropical threat stalling east of Vietnam then turning northward and tracking into southeastern China next week. While northern Vietnam would still be at risk for local flooding in this scenario, the greatest risk of damaging winds and widespread flooding would shift to Hainan and coastal locations of southeastern China as well as Hong Kong.

Moisture from this tropical system may then be pulled northeastward bringing the risk of flooding to South Korea and Japan later next week. More tropical development is possible across the West Pacific basin during first half of September.