Heavy rain from Typhoon Nakri soaks southern S. Korea

SEOUL (Yonhap) -- A typhoon accompanied by heavy downpours and strong winds pounded South Korea's southern regions on Saturday, grounding flights and briefly leaving more than 1,000 households without electricity, weather officials said.

Typhoon Nakri, positioned about 220 kilometers southwest of Seogwipo on the country's southern resort island of Jeju as of 6 a.m., was traveling northward at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The mid-scale typhoon, packing winds of up to 25 meters per second, dropped 587 millimeters of precipitation on Jeju's Mount Halla as of 7 a.m., with gusts of up to 41.9 meters per second, according to the agency.

The bad weather conditions caused the cancellation of more than 70 international and domestic flights at Jeju International Airport. Gale force winds also briefly cut power to some 1,600 households on Jeju earlier in the day, according to authorities. 

As the typhoon is moving northward, the central part of the country, including the capital city of Seoul, is forecast to experience strong winds and rain on Sunday and early next week. But the typhoon is likely to get far weaker while passing along the western coast of the Korean Peninsula, the weather officials said.

"Most of the southern regions, including Jeju and South Jeolla Province, have come under an advisory of high winds and waves, and it can be extended to cover the central regions," the KMA said in a statement.

"People, especially those in beach areas for swimming and fishing, should pay extra attention to possible accidents that could be caused by high winds and strong waves," it added.