Typhoon Hinnamnor threatens catastrophic damage in South Korea

The nation is preparing for the strongest storm it has ever seen, forecast to be worse than 1959’s Typhoon Sarah, which killed more than 600 people

Weather analyst Woo Jin Kyu ‘extremely’ worried as ‘damage may be beyond expectations’; preparations also under way in China’s coastal areas

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High waves hit the southern coast of Jeju Island, South Korea, on Friday as ‘super’ typhoon Hinnamnor approaches. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 7:00am, 3 Sep 2022Updated: 3:47pm, 3 Sep 2022

South Korea is bracing for the strongest storm in the nation’s history with Super Typhoon Hinnamnor forecast to hammer its southern coastal areas next week.

The worst of the typhoon is forecast for Monday or Tuesday when the weather system is expected to pound the resort island of Jeju and batter southern coastal cities including Busan and Ulsan, with landfall expected on Tuesday.

“We’ve never encountered a typhoon with this level of atmospheric pressure before, which is extremely worrisome because the degree of damage may be beyond our expectation,” said Woo Jin Kyu, a weather analyst from the Korea Meteorological Administration, during a briefing on Friday.

Extremely intense wind and rain could cause a typhoon surge and flooding, and the nation should be prepared to prevent any catastrophic damage, Woo said.

South Korean officials check the expected course of Typhoon Hinnamnor. Photo: EPA-EFE

Hinnamnor is forecast to be even more destructive than 1959’s Typhoon Sarah, according to the meteorological administration.

That storm killed more than 600 people and injured 2,533, and caused 249 billion won (US$180 million) of property damage, according to the National Archives of Korea.