Tropical Storm Fengshen leaves 7 dead after battering Philippines; typhoon alert issued in China—all you need to know

China on Sunday issued a blue typhoon alert for tropical storm Fengshen, with it expected to intensify into a severe tropical storm or even a typhoon.

Fengshen is currently classified as a tropical storm, with maximum sustained winds of 82 kilometres per hour, and with its wind field extending 220 to 280 kilometers from the centre.

If Fengshen intensifies into a typhoon, wind speeds are expected to reach 126 kilometres per hour.

Seven killed in the Philippines

The alert by Chinese authorities came after seven people were reported killed in the northern and central Philippines (where the storm is known as Ramil) over the weekend as Fengshen battered the region, the 18th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines this year.

Five of the deaths took place in Calabarzon (Southern Tagalog), while two were reported from Region 6 (Western Visayas).

Two people were also reported to be missing from the Western Visayas, while one injury was reported from Calabarzon.

As many as 37,852 families were also affected by the storm over the weekend, the country's NAtional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in a report.

Forecast for tropical storm Fengshen

With Fengshen now moving out of the Philippines, China has issued a blue alert, the lowest tier among its colour-coded four-tiered weather warning system for typhoons.

According to China's national observatory, Fengshen is now expected to move northwestward at around 25-30 km per hour, and gradually intensify along this path.

Affected Fengshen, gales are forecast to affect parts of the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and East China Sea, as well as coastal regions of the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Fujian, and Guangdong on Monday.

Taiwan in particular is expected to receive heavy rainfall, with forecasts of 100 to 200 millimeters of precipitation for some areas.

Tuesday onwards, however, Fengshen will move southwestward over the northern parts of the South China Sea, heading towards Vietnam before gradually weakening.