Tropical Storm Danas, currently north of the Philippines, is meandering its way over the western Pacific, generating damaging winds and flooding rain as it goes.

Danas, which may strengthen to a typhoon by Friday, has swept across northern parts of the island of Luzon, Philippines, causing widespread damage. Recently, it looked like the system was going to track west towards China, however, as dynamic storms like this often do, it changed its direction and is now heading north. Tropical Storm Danas now looks like it has South Korea and southern Japan in its sights.

Over the next 24 hours, Tropical Storm Danas should produce winds in the 40-50 knot range as it heads north, alongside creating big waves in the East China Sea. The further north it travels, the less likely it will gain typhoon strength. However, it will continue to generate strong enough winds and heavy enough rain to elevate the risk of harm to life and property as it nears land. Hundreds of millimetres of rain is likely to fall over parts of South Korea and southern Japan, potentially leading to major flooding both within urban areas as well as rivers and other waterways.

Just where Tropical Storm Danas crosses the next coastline is not known, however residents in South Korea, and in southern Japan, especially Okinawa, the Ryukyu Islands and Kyushu, will be preparing for wild weather over the coming days.