Heilong approaches Russian Far Eastern coast

A new typhoon, Heilong, is approaching the Russian Far Eastern coast. It is the third typhoon Russia's Far East will have to endure in the first half of July, said the Sakhalin territorial Hydrometeorological Centre on Monday. Having undergone all phases in its development, the new typhoon picked up a speed of 43 meters per second as it headed from the tropics towards the northern part of the Pacific. By now, the radius of the typhoon's gale has surpassed 480 kilometres.

Today, the Heilong is moving northwestwards at a speed of 38 kilometres per second. According to weather forecasters, it will reach the East China Sea and move on towards the southern part of Japan. By Tuesday, it will cover the whole Japanese territory and head towards Sakhalin and the South Kurils.

In the meantime, Sakhalin and the Kurils are struggling to recover from the previous typhoon, the Chataan, which hit the southernmost part of Sakhalin, washing away many of local roads and bringing down mud torrents on highways.

Despite recent heavy showers, there is no flood danger because rivers had been shallow after a spell of hot dry weather, say weather forecasters. Today, the rivers are back in their banks, and a slight rise in the water level poses no danger to the territory.