Super typhoon Usagi moving towards East Sea   The expected path of the super typhoon. National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Cente Super Typhoon Usagi is moving away from the Philippines towards the East Sea, and is expected to reach the region soon. It will bring widespread rain to southern Vietnam, local and international forecasters said.  At 5 am today the storm, packing winds of 150-183 kph and gusts of 184-220 kph, was centered about 730 kilometers northeast of Manila, Hong Kong's Observatory said. The typhoon is moving north-northwest at 15 kph and will enter the East Sea on Saturday, September 21, according to forecasts from the US Navy and Hong Kong’s and Japan’s meteorological websites. After entering the East Sea, the super typhoon, which is believed to be the most powerful storm on Earth this year, will continue to move in the same direction, heading for Hong Kong. At 7 am Saturday, the typhoon will be located at 21.2 degrees latitude north, 121.0 degrees longitude east, about 100 km south of China’s Taiwan, packing winds of 167 - 201 kph, and gusts of over 220 kph, the Vietnam’s National Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center reported. A warning issued late Thursday by Hong Kong's Observatory also said that the storm, which intensified last night to a super typhoon, will pose a threat to Hong Kong on Sunday, the South China Morning Post reported. Meanwhile, Taiwanese authorities urged residents on southern parts of the island to carry out precautionary measures as Usagi approaches, while China's state news agency, Xinhua, reported that a "yellow alert" had been issued as the storm approaches the country. Due to the storm, the northern and middle areas of the East Sea will experience rough seas and strong winds of up to 133 kph. In areas near the storm’s eye, the winds will be stronger, up to 201 kph, with gusts of over 220 kph, said Vietnam’s Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting Center. The sea between south-central Binh Thuan and southern Ca Mau Province, as well as the southern East Sea, including the Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, will also be rough and see southwesterly winds of 39-49 kph, and gusts of 50-74 kph. The typhoon will create strengthened seasonal southwest winds and cause widespread rain in southern provinces, said the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station. This rain will start today and last for four to five days, the Station warned. Meanwhile, high tides will occur on the Saigon and Dong Nai Rivers, with the crest of  the tide expected to reach 1.44 meters at 6:30 pm on September 21, and 1.42 meters at 7:30 pm the next day. Rain together with the high tides will likely cause flooding in low-lying areas of Ho Chi Minh City, the station said. TUOITRENEWS