Typhoon Danas to soak Korea this weekend

Waves crash on the shore of Seogwipo in southern Jeju Island Friday as the country braced for Typhoon Danas, which was expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds across Korea today. [YONHAP]

Jeju Island and areas on the southern coast were the first to catch the brunt of Typhoon Danas Friday, experiencing strong winds and heavy rain.

By Friday 4 p.m., the typhoon was in waters 430 kilometers (267 miles) southwest of Jeju Island’s southern city of Seogwipo, heading northeast towards mainland Korea at a speed of 16 kilometers per meter (10 miles per hour), said the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Typhoon Danas was expected to reach the country’s southern coastline this morning and continue traveling northeastward toward the East Sea. The KMA expected the typhoon to arrive at the eastern coast by Saturday 9 p.m., though rain was likely to fall in many areas for several more hours.

Rain clouds associated with the typhoon were growing heavier Friday afternoon, bringing showers to Jeju Island, South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang, Busan and Ulsan.

The entire country was expected to experience heavy rain and wind this morning. As the typhoon travels northeast, rain was expected to fall off on the west side of the country early Sunday morning. In the following hours, rain was expected to stop in all of Korea, though the east side of Gangwon was expected to see more rain through Sunday due to an east wind.

On Friday, a heavy rainfall alert was issued in South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang, Busan, Ulsan and Jeju Island. By 3 p.m., Samgak Peak on Jeju experienced 267 millimeters (10.5 inches) of rain, Geomun Island of Yeosu, South Jeolla received 183.5 millimeters, and Wando Island of South Jeolla received 131.5 millimeters. A strong wind warning was issued for Jeju Island and the islands of Geomun and Cho in South Jeolla. A high seas watch was issued for waters off Jeju, the South Sea and Yellow Sea.

By Saturday midnight, Jeju Island and southern coast areas were expected to receive 150 to 500 millimeters of rain, while mountainous regions of Jeju were forecasted to receive 700 millimeters or above. Most areas in east Gangwon, South and North Gyeongsang, South and North Jeolla were expected to receive 50 to 150 millimeters, though some areas in South Jeolla as well as North and South Gyeongsang could have 200 millimeters or more, the KMA said. Seoul, Gyeonggi, east Gangwon, North Chungcheong, South Chungcheong, Ulleung Island and the Dokdo islets were likely to get 10 to 70 millimeters of rain.

The KMA spokesperson warned Jeju and some other mountainous regions near the southern coast, such as Mount Jiri, of landslides and flooding from Friday night to Saturday daytime, saying that in the worst hours, those areas could be pounded with 50 millimeters or more rain per hour.

As the typhoon nears mainland Korea, winds will also grow faster. The wind speeds in Jeju, South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang will reach about 54 to 72 kilometers per hour.

BY KIM JEONG-YEON [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]