South Korea braces for disruption as Typhoon Khanun changes track

South Korea’s weather agency urged the nation to take precautions as Typhoon Khanun changed its path to head toward waters near South Korea’s second-biggest city.

The storm is forecast to pass close to Busan on Aug. 10, and make landfall near the southeastern coast of Gyeongsang, the Korea Meteorological Administration said in a briefing Sunday. As Khanun moves north through Gangwon province, it’s expected to cause rain and wind across most parts of the country, the agency said. 

Khanun, named after a tropical fruit, has caused damage and disruption as it swept across the region, causing power outages on the Japanese island of Okinawa and closing financial markets and schools in Taiwan. While the typhoon is expected to hit South Korea next week, there is still a high possibility of the storm changing its course again, the weather bureau said. 

Authorities in China have also been preparing for a potential impact, activating an emergency response. Beijing is dealing with the aftermath of the heaviest rain on record to hit the Chinese capital following Typhoon Doksuri last week.

South Korea is dealing with a range of extreme weather in recent months from flooding to scorching heat. In July, a severe downpour left people dead and destroyed homes and roads. This week, the country has seen temperatures going above 38C (100.4F), prompting the government to raise its heat wave warning to the highest level for the first time in four years.  

Khanun is currently around 190 kilometers (118 miles) northeast of Okinawa with its strongest winds reaching up to 126 kph as of 9 a.m. Seoul time, according to the weather administration.