"41.6 Degrees Reached, But Next Week Will Be Hotter"... Fear Grows Over Super Typhoon Dolphin With 56 m/s Winds

Approaching Waters East of Okinawa on August 5
Heatwave Likely to Worsen If Typhoon Shifts Toward China
Potential Maemi-Level Damage If Path Crosses Korean Peninsula

With heatwave advisories issued across much of the country, there is growing attention on the path of Super Typhoon Dolphin, which is currently moving northward over the open sea south of the Korean Peninsula.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 3:00 p.m. on August 1, Typhoon Dolphin—the 13th typhoon of the year—was passing over waters approximately 1,580 km northeast of Guam. It is forecast to reach the vicinity of Okinawa, Japan, by the middle of next week. The subsequent track of this typhoon is expected to determine whether the record heat gripping South Korea will ease or intensify.

Expected path of Typhoon Dolphin. Screenshot from the Korea Meteorological Administration website

As of the latest report, Dolphin remains at an intensity of 905 hPa and maximum sustained winds of 56 m/s, classified at the highest level, 'Category 5.' The northward movement of Dolphin is a variable that could break the persistent and extreme heatwave-inducing high-pressure system lingering over the Korean Peninsula, while also posing a major disaster risk. Observations suggest that if the typhoon shifts toward China, the heatwave in Korea could worsen as the hot tropical air mass carried by the typhoon envelopes the peninsula, causing the extreme heat to intensify even further.

On the other hand, if the typhoon moves toward the Korean Peninsula, the heatwave could abate somewhat. However, the concern is that Dolphin is as powerful as historical typhoons such as Maemi and Rusa. Typhoon Rusa, which struck in August 2002, brought a record rainfall of 871 mm in a single day to Gangneung, Gangwon Province, making it the most damaging typhoon in terms of property losses in Korean history. The following year, Typhoon Maemi developed in September with a central pressure of 965 hPa and maximum winds of 60 m/s, setting the record for the fastest wind speed ever observed during a typhoon in Korea and causing property damage totaling KRW 4.2 trillion.

Dolphin is expected to approach waters about 1,000 km east of Okinawa around August 5. Although its intensity is expected to weaken to Category 4, it will still remain powerful, with sustained winds of 49 m/s predicted. The outlook for whether the typhoon will affect the Korean Peninsula should become clearer early next week. The Korea Meteorological Administration stated, "Since the projected temperatures can change depending on the typhoon's path and surrounding pressure system changes, we are closely monitoring the course of Dolphin."

Meanwhile, amid heatwave advisories in effect for most regions across the country, the temperature in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, soared to 41.6 degrees Celsius, breaking the record for the highest temperature ever observed in the history of weather monitoring in Korea. This surpassed the previous record of 41.4 degrees set just the day before, marking the highest temperature in 122 years of Korean meteorological records.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.