A report on weather forecast website, AccuWeather, stated that the storm was expected to maintain its current level of strength as it made its way across the South China Sea.

Kai-tak is expected to make landfall in Vietnam this Friday, after which it will continue to move southwest, eventually reaching Peninsular Malaysia over the weekend.

When Kai-tak makes landfall in Malaysia, it is likely to cause extreme downpours, although these will not be as strong as once anticipated, because an increase in wind shear will weaken the storm before it moves onshore.

“Rainfall amounts of 100 to 200 millimetres can inundate northern Malaysia and far southern Thailand on Friday night into Sunday,” AccuWeather senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.

Pydynowski added that in mountainous areas of northwestern Malaysia, rainfall would be between 50 and 100 millimetres, which would cause localised flooding in low-lying areas, as well as areas with poor drainage.

Kai-tak has already struck the Philippines, where it killed 46 people and caused 1 billion pesos (RM81 million) in damages.