KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has reported that a tropical storm detected approximately 1,402 kilometres northwest of Kudat may lead to drier weather conditions and reduced rainfall in the region.

In a Tropical Storm Advisory issued at 5.45 pm, the department said the storm was moving in a northwesterly direction at a speed of five kilometres per hour (km/h), with maximum wind speeds reaching 83 km/h.

Based on observations at 5 pm today, MetMalaysia stated that the tropical storm was located approximately 231 kilometres northeast of Da Nang, Vietnam.