Typhoon Lingling to directly pass through Korean Peninsula Saturday

The entire Korean Peninsula is expected to be affected by this year’s 17th typhoon Lingling on Saturday. Lingling will move northward through the peninsula’s west coast, and make landfall in the North Korean province of Hwanghae around 5 p.m. Saturday before passing through the Korean Peninsula. With strong winds, the typhoon is feared to cause significant damage on farmers eagerly waiting for harvest or facilities just ahead of the Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving holiday.

Lingling has grown in strength to become a mid-size typhoon, while passing over warm waters around Taiwan. The typhoon will likely have a radius of 350 kilometers to 380 kilometers on Saturday, with the speed of winds reaching up to 37 meters to 40 meters per second. “There is a chance that unprecedentedly powerful winds can blow in islands regions and the western and southern coastal regions,” the Korea Meteorological Administration said, urging people to use extra caution. The nation will see 100 to 200 millimeters of rain in Jeju and southern coastal regions, and more than 400 millimeters in mountainous areas in Jeju due to the typhoon through Sunday. Central regions and the Jeolla provinces on the peninsula are also forecast to see more than 50 to 100 millimeters of rain, weathermen said.


kej09@donga.com