Khanwon started blowing in South Korea with strong winds after it rained in Japan for a week

BUSAN, South Korea (AP) – Rain and winds picked up in southern South Korea Wednesday as a tropical storm approached the Korean peninsula, where it is expected to batter major metropolitan areas.

Dozens of flights and ferry services were grounded and tens of thousands of fishing vessels were evacuated to ports as government officials raised concerns about potential severe damage from floods, landslides and tsunamis caused by strong winds.

Dubbed Khanun, the National Meteorological Agency said the storm was expected to reach the southern and eastern regions of South Korea on Wednesday afternoon. It is expected to arrive in the southern resort island of Jeju hours later and then land near the port of Tongyeong on the mainland on Thursday morning.

The agency says Khannon could have a punishing effect as it will likely cut through the center of the country over the course of several hours, as the eye of the storm washes the capital, Seoul, while winds gust from 90 to 154 km/h (56 to 97 mph). .

The storm is expected to drop 10 to 40 centimeters (4 to 16 inches) of rain in the southern and central regions and up to 60 centimeters (24 inches) in the country’s eastern mountainous regions until Friday. It will be weaker because it is blowing over North Korea earlier in the day.

The Korea Meteorological Administration measured Khanun-strong typhoon with maximum winds of 126 km/h (78 mph) as of 3:10 p.m. Wednesday (6:10 a.m. GMT), as it passed through waters 290 kilometers (180 miles) away. ) southeast of Jeju as it moves. North at 12 km/h (7.4 mph).

The wind was strongest in Jeju as of 3 p.m., gusting at a maximum speed of 86 kilometers per hour (53 mph) near Jeju City on the island’s north side while pouring 11 centimeters (4.3 in) of rain near Seogwipo City on the north side. south of the island. Winds were also picking up in some areas of the southern mainland, including the southwestern coastal city of Yeosu, reaching 86 km/h (53 mph).

Things were quieter in Busan, a port city in the southeast of the country, where people still strolled along modestly windswept Seongjeong Beach, holding umbrellas to keep out a light rain.

Japan measured Khanon as a severe tropical storm with sustained winds of 108 km/h (67 mph) and higher gusts. Warnings of stormy conditions, possible floods and other hazards were issued for the southwestern part of the southern Japanese island of Kyushu and nearby areas.

K The strongest hurricane Last week, Khanon attacked Okinawa and other Japanese islands, causing casualties and damage.

South Korean President Yoon Sok-yeol called on officials to take strict disaster prevention measures and evacuations while stressing the dangers posed by the storm, which comes just weeks after central and southern regions were bombarded by torrential rains that triggered floods and landslides that killed 47. person at least.

The Korea Airports Corporation said at least 144 flights to and from Jeju had been canceled as of 11 a.m. as Khanwon approached. Ferry services linking the island to mainland ports have also been canceled while authorities have closed at least 39 roads, 26 riverside car parks and 613 hiking trails nationwide as part of broader preventive measures.

All but 200 of the country’s 64,000 registered fishing vessels had been evacuated to ports as of Wednesday morning, Lee Hak-bum, an official from the Korea Coast Guard, said.

Khanon forced South Korea to evacuate World Scout Jamboree which was taking place at a coastal campsite in the southwestern province of Buan. Officials on Tuesday mobilized more than 1,000 buses to transport 37,000 Scouts of the World to university dormitories, government training centers, businesses and hotels in the capital, Seoul, and nearby areas.

While South Korean organizers say the camp will continue in the form of cultural events and activities, including a K-Pop concert in Seoul on Friday to go with the closing ceremony, all outdoor activities will be banned from Thursday until the storm passes.

Lee Sang-min, South Korea’s Minister of Interior and Safety, said he hopes the K-Pop concert will take place as planned at the football stadium in Seoul on Friday evening, when Khanwon has already passed through the area. However, he admitted that the storm might complicate preparations.

“If the hurricane is still having an impact by then … and the conditions are not ideal to support the continuation of the concert, we will have to consider cancellation above all else,” Lee said during a deposition.

North Korean state media said on Wednesday that officials are taking measures to protect factories from potential storm damage, including preparing sandbags, checking pumping systems and drawing up contingency plans to evacuate machinery and critical workers in the event of floods.

Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea. Associated Press photo reporter Ahn Young-joon in Busan contributed to this report.