Typhoon Champi heads toward Okinawa, not Korea, for now
Typhoon Champi, the 30th storm of the year, is forecast to rapidly strengthen over the western Pacific and approach waters south of Okinawa next week.
Typhoon Champi, the 30th typhoon of the season, is seen in satellite imagery captured by Japan's Himawari satellite on Oct. 16.
CIRA/NOAA
Typhoon Champi, the 30th typhoon of the year, formed in the western Pacific on Thursday and is expected to grow into a major storm as it moves north toward waters south of Okinawa, Japan, by the middle of next week.
The Korea Meteorological Administration's (KMA) forecast track does not show the storm heading toward the Korean Peninsula, though its path beyond next week remains uncertain.
As of 3 p.m. Friday, Champi was moving west at 18 kilometers per hour (11 miles per hour) about 890 kilometers (553 miles) east-southeast of Guam, according to the KMA. With a central pressure of 985 hectopascals and maximum winds of 27 meters per second (88.5 feet per second), it is a Level 2 storm on the KMA’s five-level intensity scale, which covers maximum winds of 25 to 32 meters per second.
Champi is expected to intensify rapidly as it passes over warm waters. It is forecast to reach Level 4, with maximum winds of 44 to 53 meters per second, on Monday and to approach waters about 800 kilometers south-southeast of Okinawa on Wednesday.
According to KMA records, 2013 was the last year in which 30 or more typhoons formed. That year saw 31 typhoons, three of which affected Korea.
This year has produced more typhoons than the average of 25.1, including 10 in August alone, the most for any August on record. Korea has been largely spared, though. Typhoon Jangmi, the sixth of the season, was the only one to affect the country, and it reached only distant waters off the south coast without making landfall.
Champi is set to move northwest toward waters south of Okinawa by the middle of next week, but its path after that remains uncertain. It could head farther west or turn east toward Japan.
Japan, which suffered heavy damage from typhoon-driven rains this year, is closely watching the storm’s path. “There are concerns that it could have a major impact, centering on next weekend, so please pay attention to future typhoon information,” the Japan Meteorological Agency warned.
BY CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
