S. Korea braces as Typhoon Bavi rips through southern regions, approaches Seoul

South Korea was on alert over Typhoon Bavi as the season’s eighth typhoon, one of this year’s most powerful storms, tore through the resort island of Jeju and other southern regions on Wednesday.

As of 10:30 p.m., the typhoon reached waters off Gunsan, about 270 kilometers south of Seoul in North Jeolla Province, and was moving north with the maximum wind speed of 40 meters per second.

The KMA forecast the typhoon to approach Seoul at around 5 a.m. Thursday. It was then expected to move upward to Hwanghae Province in North Korea.

As of 11 p.m., a typhoon advisory will take effect in Seoul.

As of 7 p.m., 15 municipalities in South Chungcheong Province were placed under a typhoon advisory. They were later joined by 23 municipalities in Gyeonggi Province and over two dozen areas in South Jeolla and North Jeolla Provinces. Other cities and provinces are operating on a heightened disaster alert.

Then at 10 p.m., Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters raised the national typhoon alert its highest Level 3.

Interior and Safety Minister Chin Young, who doubles as the head of the headquarters, urged people to take precautions and called on other state agencies and local governments to help prevent injuries and casualties and minimize property damage.