South Korea was under the influence of the powerful Typhoon Khanun on Wednesday, with the typhoon on a path to make landfall on the country’s southern coast and pass vertically across the Korean Peninsula, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Khanun was advancing northward over waters 360 kilometers southeast of Jeju Island’s Seogwipo at 9 a.m., with a central pressure of 970 hectopascals and maximum wind speeds of up to 35 meters per second. The typhoon is predicted to reach waters 120 km south of the southern coastal city of Tongyeong at 3 a.m. Thursday and make landfall in the country later that morning. When it reaches South Korea, the typhoon will remain “strong” in intensity, bringing winds faster than 15 meters per second in its 340 km radius and faster than 25 meters per second in a 120 km radius. Khanun may then travel further north to brush by the central city of Cheongju at 3 p.m. Thursday and pass as close as 30 km east of Seoul at 9 p.m. the same day before crossing the inter-Korean border to reach 120 km southeast of the North Korean capital of Pyongyang at 3 a.m. Friday. President Yoon Suk Yeol urged all-out efforts to minimize any casualties and damage by mobilizing available resources. Jeju Island and the southern coast were put under the typhoon’s influence Wednesday morning, bringing winds as fast as 24 meters per second. More than 200 flights, including those going to and from Jeju Island, were grounded Wednesday while all passenger boat services from and to Jeju were also suspended. Khanun is expected to put the entire nation under its influence until Friday morning, dumping heavy rain and causing strong wind. Gangwon Province, in particular, may experience rain as strong as 100 millimeters per hour with an accumulated precipitation of up to 600 mm while the greater Seoul area is expected to see up to 200 mm of rain. The rest of the country will also experience between 30 mm and 300 mm of rain. Southern coastal regions will also see wind as strong as 40 meters per second, the agency said.
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