Tropical Cyclone Khanun moves toward South Korea

Today’s Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features Tropical Cyclone Khanun, which took a zigzagging path from Japan’s Ryukyu Islands to the southern Japanese island of Kyushu, and will soon make landfall on the Korean Peninsula.

“The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-NASA Suomi NPP satellite acquired this image of Khanun at 04:20 Universal Time (1:20 p.m. local time) on August 8, 2023,” said NASA.

“At the time, the storm was moving to the north-northwest and had maximum sustained winds of 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. The storm’s wandering path was the result of high-pressure systems near China and southern Japan that blocked the storm and caused it to make two sharp turns.”

“According to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the storm was expected to make landfall near Busan, South Korea, and then contine north toward North Korea and northeastern China. Facing warm sea surface temperatures and favorable wind conditions over the Yellow Sea, forecasters expect Khanun to intensify somewhat before making landfall.”

According to media reports, the storm is expected to impact all of South Korea, with rainfall totals reaching up to 23 inches in some areas.

This summer, both Japan and South Korea have already experienced an exceptionally severe monsoon season. 

South Korea saw one of its heaviest monsoon rains in years last month, leading to the death of at least 47 people; 14 of whom were trapped in a flooded highway underpass. Meanwhile, 

Kyushu faced what officials described as “the heaviest rain ever experienced” in the region. 

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory 

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