Flights Grounded in South Korea as Typhoon Hinnamnor Nears

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Hundreds of flights were grounded and more than 200 people evacuated in South Korea today as Typhoon Hinnamnor approached the country’s southern region with heavy rains and winds of up to 290 kilometers (180 miles) per hour, the strongest storm in decades.

South Korea’s weather agency said the country will start to feel the full force of Hinnamnor, the strongest global storm this year, by early Tuesday when it is forecast to graze the southern resort island of Jeju before making landfall near the mainland city of Busan.

More than 360 domestic flights and 66 ferry services were grounded nationwide as of this afternoon while thousands of fishing boats returned to port. All schools in Busan and nearby southern regions are scheduled to be closed and shift to online classes tomorrow (Tuesday), local officials said.

Cities in eastern China suspended ferry services and classes and more than 100 flights were canceled in Japan yesterday (Sunday) as Hinnamnor passed through the region.