(LEAD) Heavy rains forecast for southeast coast as Typhoon Nanmadol nears

All News 16:41 September 16, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES with President Yoon's instructions in last 2 paras)

SEOUL, Sept. 16 (Yonhap) -- Heavy rains may soak South Korea's southeast coast early next week under the influence of Typhoon Nanmadol, which is currently moving northwest from waters near Japan's Okinawa, the weather agency said Friday.

With a central atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 40 meters per second, this year's 14th typhoon was passing over waters 860 kilometers east-southeast of Okinawa at 9 a.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

After passing over Okinawa, the typhoon is forecast to make landfall in northern parts of Japan's Kyushu next Monday before moving out to the sea the following day.

Around early Monday morning, South Korea's southern island of Jeju, the southeast coast and the east coast are expected to come under the influence of Nanmadol.

The typhoon is predicted to cause strong winds and high waves of up to 10 meters in the seas off the south and east coasts, while the southeastern Gyeongsang coast may experience downpours of up to 50 millimeters per hour.

Jeju Island and the Gyeongsang coast may see winds of up to 30 meters per second when Nanmadol passes near the regions, the weather agency said.

President Yoon Suk-yeol instructed the interior ministry and other disaster management agencies to closely follow the path of the typhoon and make preemptive preparations "without missing even the smallest thing," deputy presidential spokesperson Lee Jae-myoung said.

Yoon said it is worrying that Nanmadol is approaching even before recovery from the recent Typhoon Hinnamnor has been completed and called for swiftly finishing emergency recovery work in the affected areas of Pohang and Gyeongju to prevent additional damage, Lee said.