Tropical Storm Mitag leaves destruction across South Korea

Tropical Storm Mitag made landfall in South Korea on Wednesday evening killing six people, authorities said.

South Korea’s Meteorological Administration said landfall took place in South Jeolla province on Wednesday afternoon. It then moved east across the peninsula and headed out to the Sea of Japan at about 6:00am local time on Thursday (21:00 GMT on Wednesday).

The storm brought more than 500mm of rainfall to the southern part of the country, causing widespread flooding.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety said more than 100 houses and other private structures were flooded, with more than 1,500 evacuating their homes in the face of the storm’s arrival in regions across the southeast.

A mudslide derailed a sightseeing train in the province, but according to the Yonhap News Agency, no casualties were reported.

Power outages affected 44,045 houses and buildings as the storm crossed the peninsula throughout Wednesday night. On Thursday morning, power supply was restored to 83 percent houses, said the Korea Electric Power Corporation.

Tropical Storm Mitag is moving quickly through the Sea of Japan, heading towards Honshu, Japan‘s main island.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) predicts Mitag will make landfall over northern Honshu on Friday afternoon, local time. It will bring very strong winds, heavy rain and high surf along coastal areas, but will continue to move quickly across land and push out into the North Pacific Ocean late on Friday.

The JTWC has issued the final warning for the storm, which continues to maintain minimal tropical storm strength, with sustained winds of approximately 74km/h (46 miles per hour).