Typhoon Mekala No. 7 occurred in the sea near the Philippines and is moving north, maintaining very strong strength. Initially, there was a prevailing prediction that it would head towards Taiwan, but it is now expected to change its course and head south of the Japanese archipelago via the waters of Okinawa, Japan. This typhoon contains such powerful energy that the maximum wind speed at its center approaches 50 meters per second, causing considerable tension in the areas along its path. Although the possibility of direct landfall in Korea is assessed to be low, as the typhoon heads north, strong winds and high waves are expected around Jeju Island and the southern coast, so special attention to maritime safety accidents is required at this time.

Typhoon Higos, the 8th typhoon that developed in the northeastern sea of Guam, maintains relatively weak strength in contrast to Mekalla, which occurred earlier. Higos, which has been upgraded from a tropical depression to a typhoon, is expected to move northwestward and then gradually change course to the northeast and escape into the sea far from Tokyo, Japan. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicts that Hygos will transform into an extratropical cyclone within a few days after its occurrence, and that there will be little physical damage to the Korean Peninsula. However, the fact that the development process and path of a typhoon can change at any time depending on the arrangement of the surrounding barometer is an eternal challenge for weather forecasting and an uncertainty that we must be aware of.

What is noteworthy about this typhoon's path is that the Korean Peninsula is outside the typhoon's direct influence area. Nevertheless, the moisture that flows in as the typhoon moves north and the fluctuations in the barometer can cause indirect showers or localized heavy rain in Korea's inland weather. In particular, in conjunction with the rainy season at the end of June, strong showers accompanied by gusty winds, thunder, and lightning are forecast in Jeju Island, the southern coast, and some inland areas. This suggests that the unstable atmospheric environment around a typhoon, rather than the typhoon itself, can have a real impact on our daily lives, which is also why we must frequently check real-time weather radar and disaster agency forecasts.

Looking at weather records, tropical cyclone activity is active earlier than usual this year, with typhoons occurring starting in January. As ocean temperatures rise due to the effects of climate warming, there is a steady possibility that typhoons will become stronger or take unexpected paths. Just as in the case of Typhoon No. 6 'Jangmi', which avoided the Korean Peninsula but issued a special warning in the distant sea, the mere existence of typhoons has a complex impact on the weather system around the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, we should not be relieved that the central path of the typhoon does not pass us, but we need meteorological insight to comprehensively judge the overall air current flow and atmospheric instability.