By Kwon Mee-yoo
Following the path of Typhoon Komasu, Typhoon Malou is likely to head toward Korea after forming off Okinawa.
The storm system, generated in waters 470 kilometers southeast of the Japanese island, is moving at 15 kilometers per hour in a northwesterly direction. “Malou” in Mandarin means “agate” in English, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Friday.
It is a relatively small-sized typhoon with a pressure of 1,000 hectopascals near its center and a maximum wind speed of 18 meters per second.
As the temperature of the sea surface on Malou's expected route is rising, it will grow stronger, a KMA spokesman said.
The typhoon's course is still uncertain, but the KMA expects it to affect Korea from late Sunday.
"Malou formed in the same region Kompasu did and is forecast to move northward along a similar route," the spokesman said.
As a result of this new weather system, heavy rainfall is expected nationwide from Sunday, he added.