Typhoon slams Korea's southern areas with strong wind, downpour
As typhoon Chaba approaches the Korean Peninsula and is expected to hit Busan Tuesday afternoon, the sea off the city of Seogwipo on Jeju Island was whipped up by the powerful storm on Tuesday morning. / Yonhap
By Ko Dong-hwan, Kim Rahn
The weather agency issued typhoon alerts for southern coastal areas and waters around Jeju Island, Tuesday, as powerful Typhoon Chaba approaches.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the typhoon will pass Korea’s southern and southeastern coasts from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, creating 8-meter waves.
The alert will be extended to more parts of the country early Wednesday morning, the KMA said.
“Citizens are advised to protect their crops and personal property,” the weather agency said. “Vessels must leave the area to avoid high waves that may splash over seawalls and possibly erode roads.”
Fishing boats in southern coastal regions and Jeju have been anchored at port to avoid high waves and possible damage.
The typhoon is expected to bring 250 millimeters of rain and winds up to 30 meters per second in the southern parts of the Korean Peninsula, including Busan, the agency said.
Many cities in Chungcheong, Gyeongsang and Jeolla regions are also forecast to have rain, which will mostly stop by Wednesday afternoon.
On Sunday morning, the year’s 18th typhoon was detected 280 kilometers south of Okinawa, moving north at 22 kilometers per hour. The typhoon is categorized as “mid-sized” and “strong,” with maximum winds of 50 meters per second and atmospheric pressure of 930 hectopascals.