Sanba - Fouth Typhoon to Hit Korea In 2012

It's formation was first reported by the Korean Meteorological Administration in the morning of September 11. 

By September 13th, it seemed pretty certain that it would pass over, or very near to, the Korean peninsula.  It also looked like it would become as powerful as Bolaven, which caused much damage on Jeju island and on the western side of the peninsula in August.  Some feared that it could damage a lot of crops just ahead of Chuseok (추석), the Korean thanksgiving holiday.

By September 15th, it had grown in strength and in size, packing winds as fast as 180 km/h. 

On September 16, it passed over the Japanese islands of Okinawa, causing flooding and leaving many residents of the island without power.  That night, in Busan, the sun set behind a think veil of clouds, swiftly circulating westward over the city as they swirled towards the center of the storm.

A view of Busan near sunset, on Sunday Sept 16th.

Another view of the city, near sunset on Sunday Sept 16th.

In the early hours of September 17th, it approached Korean waters, it's eye still distinguishable by Korean weather satellites.  At sunrise, the sky above the city was still completely overcast, and thick clouds with low-hanging tails dropped copious quantities of rain over the city.

Busan just after sunrise, on Monday Sept 17th.

The buildings of SeoMyeon, barely distinguishable in the clouds and pouring rain.

Around 9AM, the storm finally reached the peninsular mainland.  By noon, it was almost directly over Busan.  And by evening, it was dissipating over the ocean, to the east of North Korea, having cleared the entire peninsula.

In Busan, typhoon Sanba was far more intense than Bolaven or Tembin, with strong gales capable of bending and breaking small trees.  On Monday, waves pushed by the storm's strong winds broke violently on the seashore near the city.   Starting on Saturday, it dumped over 800 mm of rain on the peninsula, which resulted in landslides and flooding in some low-lying areas.  Over 450,000 homes lost electrical power as a result of the storm.  One person was confirmed dead by late Monday evening.

Typhoon Sanba was the fourth typhoon to hit the Korean peninsula this year.  It was the first time since 1962 that four typhoons passed over Korea in a single year.