Typhoon Lingling No. 12 Path Predictions Diverge: Korea Says "Toward Shanghai," Japan Says "Toward Korean Peninsula"

Divergence in Predicted Paths After Okinawa
Japan and Korea Offer Contrasting Forecasts for Typhoon Lingling

Prediction of the movement path of the tropical depression expected to develop into Typhoon No. 12 'Lingling'. Korea Meteorological Administration

With the formation of Typhoon Lingling (No. 12) imminent, the Korea Meteorological Administration and the Japan Meteorological Agency offered differing forecasts regarding its expected path. The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted that after forming, the typhoon would head due north and make landfall on Jeju Island and Kyushu. In contrast, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast that after passing Okinawa, the typhoon would veer westward and make landfall in Shanghai, China.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on August 19, a tropical depression formed at around 3 a.m. in the sea approximately 340 kilometers south-southwest of Okinawa, Japan. This tropical depression is moving at a speed of 54 kilometers per hour, accompanied by strong winds with a maximum velocity of 15 meters per second. It is passing through waters about 340 kilometers south-southwest of Okinawa, Japan, and is moving northward at a speed of 26 kilometers per hour.

The tropical depression is expected to develop into Typhoon Lingling (No. 12) around 3 a.m. on August 20, with a central pressure of 1002 hectopascals (hPa), maximum sustained winds near the center of 18 meters per second (65 kilometers per hour), and a wind radius of 170 kilometers. It is then forecast to move to waters about 190 kilometers northwest of Okinawa, Japan, and continue northward at a speed of 19 kilometers per hour.

Tropical depression movement path forecast by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Japan Meteorological Agency

The Japan Meteorological Agency predicted that after passing west of Okinawa's main island and moving northeast, the typhoon would reach an area southeast of Jeju Island and west of Nagasaki Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan, around August 22-23.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecast for Tropical Depression No. 28, released at 11 a.m. on August 18, both agencies agreed that the system would move due north toward Okinawa's main island. However, their predictions diverged regarding the subsequent path. The Korea Meteorological Administration analyzed that around August 20, the system would veer northwest and head toward Shanghai, China, rather than the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, "Lingling" is a name submitted by Hong Kong, one of the 14 member countries of the Typhoon Committee, and is a female given name. The Chinese character "Ling" (玲) means "jade," and in Chinese naming conventions, it is common to repeat the same character twice to create a nickname.