A low pressure zone intensified into a tropical depression on Sunday afternoon with heavy rains forecast to drench the central region.

A street in Ha Noi submerged after a downpour in June. Photo by VnExpress

A low pressure zone intensified into a tropical depression on Sunday afternoon north of the Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago in the East Sea.

The National Hydro-meteorological Forecasting Centre said it would bring torrential rains to central and southern provinces, and wind speeds are projected to peak at 50 kilometers an hour.

The depression is forecast to move westward towards the provinces of Quang Ngai and Khanh Hoa tomorrow afternoon.

Central provinces from Quang Binh to Quang Ngai are expected to experience heavy rain from late September 12 to September 14.

Heavy rains may also roll in and trigger tornadoes from Binh Dinh to Binh Thuan, in the central highlands and the southern region in the next 2-3 days.

Viet Nam is hit by an average of 8 to 10 tropical storms between July and October every year, which often cause heavy material and human losses.

(Source: http://e.vnexpress.net)