Typhoon Lingling bears down on the Korean Peninsula

Hurricane Dorian has been dominating the weather news recently. But there is an even more powerful storm heading towards the Korean Peninsula.

Typhoon Lingling is the thirteenth typhoon of the year. It is currently located around 320 kilometres northwest of Kadena Air Base on the Japanese island of Okinawa.

Lingling has sustained winds of 205 kilometres per hour with gusts nearing 250kmph. This is equivalent to a strong category 3 hurricane. Hurricane Dorian has recently been downgraded to a category 1 storm.

Typhoon Lingling is expected to maintain this intensity for much of Friday before starting to weaken as the outer bands of the storm begin to interact with the land on approach towards South Korea.

The system is moving northwards at 28kmph. At that speed it is expected to move into the Yellow Sea by Saturday with winds easing down to about 170 gusting 210kmph.

It is then forecast to hit the North Korean province of Hwanghae by the evening as it picks up speed, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Preliminary typhoon warnings have been issued across South Korea.

“Record-breaking winds will be seen at islands and southern and western coastal areas,” the weather agency said, advising local governments and residents to take precautionary measures.

Typhoon Lingling threatens all the usual hazards. Even though the winds will gradually weaken, the possibility of strong floods and mudslides from the torrential rains and likely storm surge exist.

Travel disruption has already begun around the Korean strait. Many flights have been affected and some ocean routes also have been blocked, with most of the 14 passenger ships that operate between Jeju and other parts of the country cancelled.

Typhoon warning levels have been raised and port cities have also taken action with more than 300 cargo vessels evacuated in docks in Incheon, the country’s second-largest port city, just west of Seoul.