BUSAN (AFP) – Hundreds of flights and high-speed trains were cancelled and businesses shut in the South Korean port town of Busan after a tropical storm made landfall yesterday, bringing heavy rain and high winds.
Tropical Storm Khanun, which battered Japan before taking a circuitous route towards the Korean peninsula, made landfall at around 9.20am in the south and is set to travel northwards, spreading heavy rain nationwide, South Korea’s meteorological agency said.
More than 10,000 people have been evacuated and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo urged local governments to “verify whether residents in high-risk areas have failed to evacuate” and to ensure that they do.
Typhoon warnings have been issued nationwide, with downpours of up to 500 millimetres forecast in northeastern coastal areas and 100-200 millimetres in Seoul and its surrounding areas until early tomorrow.
The capital was hit by heavy rain and southern Busan was battered by strong winds, with pedestrians struggling to walk in gusts blowing as fast as around 145 kilometres per hour. Many stores and cafes were closed.
At least 330 flights were cancelled by yesterday and sea routes and railways closed, officials said.
