Heavy rainstorms in forecast as Typhoon Sanba nears Korean Peninsula

(Yonhap) -- Heavy rainstorms are forecast across the country this weekend as another major typhoon makes its way toward the Korean Peninsula, weather officials said Saturday.

   Typhoon Sanba, positioned about 470 kilometers south-southeast of Okinawa, Japan, was traveling north-northwestward at a speed of about 18 kilometers per hour as of 9 a.m. Saturday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). 

 The typhoon, named after a city in Macau, has maximum winds of 53 meters per second, officials added.

   Sanba is expected to reach South Korean waters, about 60 kilometers east-southeast of Seogwipo, Jeju Island, by around 9 a.m. Monday. It will then likely land on South Jeolla Province in the southwestern region and pass through the country heading east.

   Officials said Sanba could be one of the strongest typhoons to ever hit South Korea, almost as devastating as Typhoon Maemi, which left 132 dead and caused massive property damage in 2003.

   Sanba is the third typhoon to approach South Korea in the past month, following Bolaven and Tembin in late August.

   Sanba is expected to bring heavy rains nationwide starting Sunday, first on Jeju Island then to all parts of the nation by late night.

   Officials said Jeju and southern coastal regions could have more than 20 millimeters of rain per hour from early Sunday.

   A KMA official said a special typhoon alert will likely be issued for Jeju early Sunday and then the rest of the country by Monday.