by Manal Barakat, SeaNewsEditor

Tropical cyclone WIPHA, also known as "Crising" in the Philippines, has significantly disrupted transport across several regions.

The storm, which passed over the Luzon Strait between northern Luzon island and southern Taiwan on 18 July, brought maximum sustained winds of 93 km/h, causing substantial damage and hindering transportation.

As it moved westward towards southern China, it intensified and landed in Guangdong province on 20 July with winds reaching up to 120 km/h.

WIPHA created heavy rainfall and strong winds that continued to affect southern China, particularly the cities of Yangjiang, Zhanjiang, and Maoming in Guangdong province.

The storm will impact port operations in the region for the next few days.

Flash floods and landslides, which disrupted road and rail networks, further exacerbated the impact on transport.

The national forecaster predicted that WIPHA would move into the Gulf of Tonkin and gather intensity before making a second landfall in northern Vietnam on 21 July.

Vietnam's authorities issued an urgent message to coastal provinces, urging them to prepare for the storm by calling boats ashore, evacuating flood-prone areas, and securing communication infrastructure.