Typhoon Man-Yi Heads for S. Korea
By Kim Tae-jong
Staff Reporter
Typhoon Man-Yi, which originated from a tropical storm, is forecast to gain considerable force and momentum as it heads for southwestern Japan and South Korea, the weather authority said day.
``It may take two or three days to know exactly where the typhoon will pass through, but it is now in the west of Guam and is expected to hit the southwestern part of Japan by the weekend,'' an official at the Korean Meteorological Administration said.
Man-Yi, the fourth storm of this year's western Pacific cyclone season, was located west of Guam and moving northwest at 20 kilometers per hour and is forecast to strengthen further with its maximum sustained winds as high as 156 kilometers per hour.
``We're not sure if the nation will be under the direct or indirect influence of the typhoon yet. But due to the possibility, it's better to prepare for it,'' the official said.
Man-Yi is the name of an old strait in Hong Kong that was dammed and turned into a reservoir, given by the Hong Kong Observatory, which lists cyclone names in use in the Pacific.
Meanwhile, the nation will slowly get out of the influence by a low-pressure trough, which has brought heavy rainfall nationwide for a few days.
But by Friday, some parts of the nation will see more rain accompanied by storms, thunder and lightning. Due to occasional rainfall, midday highs are expected to range between 24 and 28 degrees Celsius.
The monsoon season ends around the end of July, in time for summer vacation season kick-off. But a heat wave is expected to grip the peninsula in early August.
As North Pacific high pressure expands, the peninsula will suffer from sultry heat and tropical nights phenomenon with the lowest temperature at night maintaining over 25 degrees Celsius. Temperatures are expected to be higher than the August average.
According to the weather agency, the average temperatures of early August between 1971 to 2000 were 26.1 degrees Celsius in Seoul, 25.7 degrees Celsius in Gangneung, 26.2 degrees Celsius in Busan and 26.7 degrees Celsius in Jeju Island. The midday highs were 30.2 degrees Celsius in Seoul, 29.7 degrees Celsius in Gangneung, 29.6 degrees Celsius in Busan and 30.4 degrees Celsius in Jeju Island.