Another powerful typhoon is quickly moving northward and expected to affect all parts of the country early next week, weather officials said Friday.
Typhoon Sanba, positioned 830 kilometers south-south-east of Japan's Okinawa, was moving northward at a speed of about 19 kilometers per hour, packing maximum winds of 56 meters per second as of 3 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
The typhoon is highly likely to approach near Jeju Island on Sunday afternoon before landing on the country's southern coast the following day, the weather agency said.
Meteorologists expect the typhoon on Monday to be as powerful as Typhoon Maemi, which tore through the peninsula leaving 132 people dead and huge property damage in 2003.
Strong wind and heavy rain are expected for most parts of the nation under the influence of Sanba, the 16th typhoon of the season.
Jeju Island and the southern and eastern coasts, in particular, are projected to see heavy rain of more than 50 millimeters per hour and strong winds measuring 50 meters per second between Sunday afternoon and dawn Tuesday, the officials said.
To brace for what may be the country's worst storm in nearly a decade, the government convened an emergency meeting of anti-disaster officials of the central government and municipal governments.
During the meeting, Maeng Hyung-kyu, minister of Public Administration and Security, called for full readiness to minimize human and property damage from the forthcoming typhoon.
North Korea issued a warning against Sanba, according to state-run media in the country.
"The eastern coastal area and part of South Hwanghae Province are to receive strong wind and torrential rain under the influence of the 16th typhoon," the North's state-run radio Korean Central Broadcasting Station said.
It urged all sectors of the economy to come up with thorough safety measures. (Yonhap News)
