Formed east of the Philippines on July 18, Wipha was packing maximum winds of 74 kph as of Friday morning, moving northwest at 20 kph.

An illustration of Typhoon Wipha's trajectory.

The storm is expected to enter the northern South China Sea by Saturday morning and gain strength as it travels at speeds of 20–25 kph, according to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting.

By Sunday morning, Wipha is forecast to be about 590 km east of China's Leizhou Peninsula, strengthening further over the following 24 hours as it nears the eastern waters of the peninsula.

Japan's Meteorological Agency predicts Wipha will track west-northwest along China's coast, with peak winds reaching 108 kph. Hong Kong's weather agency expects the storm to become stronger, with winds potentially hitting 130 kph.

As Wipha approaches, the northeastern South China Sea will face strong winds and waves up to 5 meters high. Authorities are urging vessels to monitor the storm closely and seek safe harbor.

Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has issued an emergency directive to coastal provinces from northern to central regions, ordering them to prepare evacuation plans, secure coastal infrastructure, and protect tourism sites, aquaculture farms and residents. Rescue teams and equipment have been placed on standby.

Local authorities have been told to reinforce dikes, safeguard warehouses and factories, and prepare for rapid repairs if storm damage occurs.

Wipha will be the third storm to appear in the South China Sea this year. While Storm Danas formed in July did not affect Vietnam, Typhoon Wutip triggered deadly flooding in central Vietnam in June despite not making landfall. The floods killed 11 people in Quang Tri and Hue, submerged 3,500 homes, damaged 88,000 hectares of crops and disrupted flights from Da Nang. Floodwaters also forced the delay of a beauty pageant final as the Huong River overflowed.

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