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Hundreds of passenger services were canceled across Korea on Monday as the fast-approaching Typhoon Bolaven, expected to be the strongest storm to hit the nation in a decade, caused strong winds and high waves.
The typhoon, named after a plateau in Laos, was moving northward at a speed of 23.4 kilometers per hour from waters some 300 kilometers off South Korea's southern island of Jeju as of 6 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA).
After passing Jeju Island at 3 a.m. on Tuesday, the typhoon is forecast to veer north along the west coast to hit Seoul at 2 p.m. the same day, and to reach the North's Hwanghae Province by late Wednesday, the KMA said.
The storm has somewhat weakened compared to earlier Monday morning, but maintained a central pressure of 945 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 45 meters per second, according to the forecasters. A typhoon with a maximum wind speed of 44 meters per second is classified as "super strong" and powerful enough to move large rocks.
An advisory was issued on Jeju Island as well as in most of the southern regions of the country, which is to be expanded to the most parts of country later in the day, the KMA said.
"We expect the storm to bring more than 30 millimeters of rain per hour nationwide, with Jeju Island and the southern coastal region to have up to 300 millimeters, along with very strong winds," a KMA official said, urging the public to take precautionary measures to minimize possible damage and casualties.
On the southern island of Jeju, already feeling the effects of the typhoon, some 140 flights, as well as all ferries, connecting it to other inland areas were all canceled, according to officials.
Passenger services from Incheon, west of Seoul, to its surrounding areas were also canceled, officials said, adding the cancellation of international flights will also be considered in line with weather conditions.
All preschools as well as primary and secondary schools in the Seoul area were ordered closed for one day on Tuesday. Most students across the nation will also be exempt from class that day, according to regional education offices.
The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education said students will be allowed to leave early from school Monday afternoon, adding that only teachers will be asked to come to school the following day to take safety measures for the school facilities.
"Depending on the decision of the principals of each school, classes may or may not be canceled on Wednesday, when the storm is expected to have passed through South Korea," an education official said.
While the country's 23 ministries and agencies concerned have been on maximum alert to brace for possible damages since earlier in the day, President Lee Myung-bak and Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik called for thorough measures to minimize damage from the powerful typhoon and ordered related government agencies to swiftly provide various typhoon-related information to the public.
The defense ministry said it has ordered troops located in the path of the typhoon to take shelter and move planes and ships to safer areas to prevent possible damage, and set up disaster response headquarters in 67 military units across the nation.
"The ministry advised the unit commanders in areas prone to chronic flooding and landslides to move their troops and major equipment to safe zones," a ministry official said. "In case of an emergency, field commanders will be required to take necessary measures first and then report to a higher unit." (Yonhap)
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