South Korea may be hit by a typhoon Sunday, the state-run weather agency said Wednesday. It is extremely rare for a typhoon to strike the country this late in the year.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Typhoon Fitow is making its way toward the Korean Peninsula from waters just east of the Philippines.

It is projected to reach within 410 kilometers of the Japanese island of Okinawa on Friday, and South Korea’s southernmost island of Jeju is expected to feel Fitow’s presence a couple of days later.

As of 3 a.m. Wednesday, the typhoon was observed to have central pressure of around 988 hPa and wind speeds of up to 25 meters per second. By the time it touches down on the Korean Peninsula, its central pressure is estimated to reach around 955 hPa, and its maximum speed will reach 41 meters per second.

If Fitow reaches South Korea, it will be the first time since 1998 that a typhoon has struck the Korean Peninsula in October. Only four “October typhoons” have been recorded since 1950.

It is still possible that Fitow will move toward Taiwan around Thursday, in which case the typhoon will not affect South Korea.

(khnews@heraldcorp.com)