Tropical Storm Neoguri heading for Vietnam and China by Rob McElwee

Coastal Vietnam and southern China have been put on alert as tropical storm Neoguri is expected to make landfall later this week.

Neoguri is the first tropical storm of the year and has developed before the official storm season begins. The typhoon season runs from May to October, with the peak of the season being August to September. Typhoons that develop later in the season tend to be stronger than those that develop earlier in the season. This is due to the warming of the land and sea after the hot summer months..

The storm is currently 149 miles (240 km) off the coast of Vietnam and is moving northwest at a speed of around 10 mph (17 km/h). Forecasters expect the storm to bring high winds and heavy rain with a drop in temperature to central provinces of Vietnam, and then later to southern China and Hong Kong.

Authorities have warned fishermen in the South China Sea to come ashore as the effects of the storm will be felt by tomorrow.