>Image Credit: Naval Research Lab MontereyChanthu wound into a typhoon shortly before storming ashore in south Chinanear 2 p.m. Thursday, local time, and well before daybreak on Thursday morning,EDT.Landfall was near Wuchuan in southwestern Guangdong, within about 40 mileseast of the city of Zhanjiang.
Near the time of landfall, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) estimatedhighest sustained winds to be about 85 mph.
Heading towards the west and northwest, Chanthu will weaken quickly as itbreaks up over south China in the province of Guangxi.
Quickly losing its high winds, the heavy rain potential of Chanthu willpersist well inland. Thus, through Saturday and even Sunday, a threat offlooding rain will span a wide stretch of southwestern Guangdong, much ofGuangxi, southern Yunnan and even northernmost Vietnam.
Widespread rainfall of 4 to 8 inches will be likely, and potential is forhighest rainfall of at least one foot, which could trigger major flooding.
Moisture contributed by Chanthu may also contribute to heavy rain in theflood-hit central Yangtze Basin this weekend and into next week.
Wide swathes of southern and central China have already suffered majorseasonal flooding in 2010.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Jim Andrews.
