Australia

Weather Underground Forecast for Sunday, July 12, 2009.

Tropical Depression Five spinning in the South China Sea will continue tracking northwestward from the Philippines toward the mainland of China on Sunday. Atmospheric conditions are not favorable for intensification, thus, when the storm makes landfall between Hong Kong and the Leizhou Peninsula Sunday afternoon, it will be of tropical depression strength with winds up to 39 mph and 11 ft wave heights. Expect periods of heavy downpours along the southern coast of China. For more information on this storm please visit http://www.wunderground.com/tropical. Hong Kong will see dangerous conditions with severe storms and highs remaining in the mid-80s(F)/ upper teens(C).

Meanwhile, a strong low pressure system will advect eastward from northeastern China, over the Yellow Sea where it will obtain abundant moisture, and then move over the Korean Peninsula on Sunday. This system will bring widespread scattered showers to northeastern China, and kick up heavy showers and thunderstorms over North Korea. Shanghai may see scattered showers and thunderstorms developing by afternoon with highs near 90(F)/ 32(C), while Beijing will remain north of this system only seeing a few patchy clouds with highs in the upper 80s(F)/ lower 30s(C). To the east, this trough will start to push a ridge of high pressure away from Japan and will bring clouds with light rain over western Japan. Tokyo will be cloudy with a few sprinkles and highs in the mid-70s(F)/ lower 20s(C).

In Australia, a low pressure system spinning in the Great Australian Bight will continue pushing moist conditions onshore, allowing for scattered coastal showers to persist. Meanwhile, a small trough will move through South Australia and is expected to kick up scattered showers. Sydney will see cloudy skies with highs in the mid-60s(F)/ upper teens(C).