Typhoon Lingling likely to hit Korea as early as Friday

Typhoon Lingling is forecast to affect South Korea as early as Friday, with strong winds feared to cause the biggest damage, the weather agency said Wednesday.

The typhoon is slowly moving northward from seas east of Taipei but is expected to pick up speed and directly affect the country by the weekend, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

The weather agency warned of strong winds in the southern and western regions of the country, with wind speeds expected to peak at 125 to 162 kilometers per hour.

Winds of 28.5-32.6 meters per second can uproot trees, while stronger gusts of 32.7 or more can cause ships to capsize, according to the Beaufort wind force scale.

“Damage from the strong wind is most worrisome. … It will be difficult for people to stand still outdoors,” an agency official said, raising the need for preparation in both urban and rural areas.

At the current speed, a typhoon warning is forecast to be placed on Jeju Island Friday and expanded to Seoul and Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces Saturday afternoon.

Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon hosted a meeting earlier in the day, ordering relevant government ministries and provincial governments to prepare for the typhoon.

He also urged people in the area to be careful of the typhoon in a tweet, comparing Lingling to Typhoon Bolaven, which killed 10 people and caused property damage of 636.5 billion won ($526 million) in the country in 2012.