Chinese forecasters said Typhoon Chaba weakened into a tropical storm on Monday, but more heavy rain is expected in the central and eastern parts of the country in the coming days.

The eye of Chaba was in the southern region of Guangxi as of Monday morning and it was moving at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometer per hour into Hunan and Hubei provinces, Chinese authorities said.

Late Sunday, China’s Central Meteorological Observatory lifted the typhoon blue warning as Chaba was downgraded.

The Observatory said heavy rain and strong winds are expected in Guangdong province, the Guangxi region, and Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, and Shandong provinces from Monday to Wednesday.

Typhoon Chaba made landfall in southern China Saturday afternoon, after lashing Hong Kong Friday with high winds and heavy rains that damaged buildings and uprooted trees.

The Observatory has warned that more extreme weather, including heavy flooding, is expected in the southern region of the country through August.

Heavy rains and flooding are not unusual for China, but forecasters say climate change is partly to be blamed the increasing frequency of severe storms.

Source: Voice of America