A surface circulation organized within a larger area of thunderstorms east of Vietnam on Saturday and the system was designated as Tropical Storm Kujira.  At 11:00 p.m. EDT on Saturday the center of Tropical Storm Kujira was located at latitude 15.7°N and longitude 111.4°E which put it about 210 miles (340 km) east of Da Nang, Vietnam.  Kujira was moving north-northwest at 3 m.p.h. (5 km/h).  The maximum sustained wind speed was 40 m.p.h. (65 km/h) and there were wind gusts to 60 m.p.h. (95 km/h).  The minimum surface pressure was 998 mb.

Tropical Storm Kujira is moving over water where the Sea Surface Temperature is near 30°C.  However an upper level ridge over southern Asia is generating northeasterly winds over the top of Kujira.  Those northeasterly winds are producing moderate vertical wind shear, which is causing most of the stronger thunderstorms to be located in the western half of the circulation.  Some spiral bands are beginning to form and a band is wrapping around the southern side of the center of circulation.  It appears that Kujira is becoming more well organized and intensification is likely, although the wind shear could slow that process.

Kujira is in an area where the steering currents are weak.  The tropical storm is near the western end of a subtropical ridge and the highest probability is that it will move north toward Hainan Island and southern China.  Some numerical models project a landfall on Hainan Island, but others have Kujira passing east of the island before making landfall on the coast of China.  In either scenario Kujira could approach Hainan Island in 24 to 36 hours.