Typhoon Khanun Expected to Move North to Ulleungdo on the 10th After Passing Through Japan

Typhoon Khanun, the 6th typhoon of the season, is expected to affect the Gangwon Yeongdong region and the East Coast as it moves toward Ulleungdo after passing through Japan.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 9 a.m. on the 5th, Khanun maintained a strong intensity with a central pressure of 970 hPa and maximum wind speed of 35 m/s (126 km/h), passing through the sea 170 km northwest of Okinawa, Japan.

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Khanun is expected to move east-northeast at 10-12 km/h toward the southern sea of Kyushu, Japan, until the afternoon of the 6th, then move north or north-northeast from the 7th and make landfall on Kyushu in the early morning of the 9th.

Generally, typhoons weaken by 5-10 hPa in central pressure after passing through Kyushu, but Khanun is expected to maintain its cylindrical typhoon structure even while passing through Kyushu.

As of 9 a.m. on the 10th, Khanun is likely to move north toward the East Coast of Korea, positioning itself about 40 km southeast of Ulleungdo. At this time, Khanun’s intensity is expected to be 'moderate,' but since the sea surface temperature in the East Sea is 27-29 degrees Celsius, 3-4 degrees higher than average, its strength is expected to be maintained.

Currently, most areas except the West Coast are within the '70% probability radius of typhoon position' (the area where the typhoon center is expected to be located with a probability of 70% or higher). Therefore, there is a possibility that Khanun will make landfall on the Korean Peninsula. Although the forecast path of Khanun is highly variable, no meteorological authorities have predicted its landfall on the Korean Peninsula so far.

Khanun is moving east to east-northeast following the west to west-southwest winds brought in during the collision between the Tibetan high pressure and equatorial low pressure systems. The position of its northward movement may vary depending on the influence of the North Pacific high pressure and tropical low-pressure circulation.

If the current forecast holds, Ulleungdo and Dokdo will be within the storm radius where winds exceed 25 m/s from the typhoon center, and the Gangwon East Coast and Gyeongsang coastal areas will be within the strong wind radius where winds exceed 15 m/s. These areas are directly affected by the typhoon and may have typhoon warnings issued.

According to the ECMWF forecast, easterly winds will bring rain mainly to Gangwon Yeongdong and the Gyeongsang East Coast from the 7th to the 10th. Especially, heavy rain is expected in these areas on the 9th and 10th when the typhoon approaches closely.

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