[Newsmaker] Typhoon Maysak to intensify into ‘very strong’ category

Typhoon Maysak, expected to hit southern parts of Korea on Wednesday and Thursday, is forecast to intensify into a “very strong” storm late Monday, the weather agency said.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 9 a.m. Monday, the ninth typhoon of the year was 470 kilometers south of the island of Okinawa, Japan, advancing northeast at a speed of 31 kilometers per hour toward the peninsula, as of 9 a.m. on Monday. With a maximum wind speed of 43 meters per second and an atmospheric pressure of 950 hectopascals at its center, it was categorized as a “strong” intensity typhoon.

Maysak is expected to gain strength, becoming “very strong” in intensity as early as Monday afternoon. It is forecast to reach Jeju Island on Wednesday morning and the mainland early Thursday. It is likely to pass through Ulsan and some North Gyeongsang Province regions to later exit through Samcheok, Gangwon Province, before dying out near Vladivostok, Russia.

In its course affecting Korea, Typhoon Maysak’s maximum wind speed could reach up to 47 meters per second, with a strong wind effect range of 400 kilometers. Winds of up to 35 meters per second can derail trains, and cars and large rocks can be toppled when the wind exceeds 40 meters per second.

“The typhoon, when it makes landfall here, is likely to bring winds of up to 40 meters per second,” the KMA forecast.

The national weather agency warned of heavy rains and strong wind gusts in the affected regions. Mild to heavy rainfall is forecast for all regions Wednesday afternoon. Yet as the typhoon remained many hours from reaching Korean territory, the KMA said it is possible the typhoon changes in trajectory and strength.

Typhoon Maysak is likely to be arriving just one week after Typhoon Bavi swept through Korea, and it has been warned that Maysak could be stronger than Bavi and yield greater damage.

By Ko Jun-tae (ko.juntae@heraldcorp.com)