Japan, Korean Peninsula and China put on alert for threats from Super Typhoon Maria
After impacting Guam and the Mariana Islands, Maria will now set its sights on the area from eastern China to the Korean Peninsula and Japan next week.
While moving away from Guam, Maria strengthened into a typhoon Thursday evening, local time. By early Friday morning, Maria developed into a Super Typhoon. Conditions are expected to be conducive for Maria to continue to maintain this intensity in the coming days.
Maria will be over open water this weekend, stirring dangerous seas. Delays in shipments may result as ships will have to alter their courses around the typhoon.
Over the weekend, anyone in the potential path of Maria will want to make preparations as the storm threatens areas from eastern China to Japan next week.
One scenario for Maria is to track more to the north and target western mainland Japan. However, this scenario is starting to look less likely. If this does transpire, it could lead to a flood and mudslide disaster as the area is already facing significant flooding into Saturday from rounds of torrential rain.
A track more to the west can put Japan’s Ryukyu Islands in the direct path of the powerful typhoon’s torrential rain, destructive winds and inundating seas early next week.
In this scenario, the typhoon may then continue to track toward eastern China (potentially in the corridor from Wenzhou to Shanghai) by midweek.
An eventual turn to the northeast is expected, which could cause Maria to spread flooding rain and strong winds across the Korean Peninsula after it impacts eastern China around Wednesday or Thursday of next week.
At this time, Maria is expected to track far enough north to spare Taiwan from any direct impacts.
Until more details of the exact track of Maria are ironed out in the coming days, all residents are urged to review what precautions would need to be taken should the typhoon threaten.
While now is not a time to panic, it would be advantageous to ensure you are not running low on essential nonperishable food, medicine and items needed to protect your home and business from wind damage.
Evacuation routes should be reviewed. Be sure to follow the advice of local government and heed any evacuation orders in the coming days.
Every tropical basin in the world has its own unique name list, allowing Maria to be used in the western Pacific Ocean even though it has been retired as a name from the Atlantic Ocean.
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