Typhoon Krovanh takes unusual path toward Okinawa — what it means for the Korean Peninsula

Attention is turning to the potential impact on the Korean Peninsula as Typhoon Krovanh, the 24th named storm of the season, is forecast to make a sharp change of direction after tracking northward toward Okinawa, Japan.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Krovanh was moving north Thursday morning, passing through waters about 250 kilometers east of Okinawa as of 9 a.m. The storm had a central pressure of 992 hectopascals, maximum wind speeds of 23 meters per second and a strong-wind radius of 250 kilometers, and was advancing rapidly at about 42 kilometers per hour — classified as a Category 1 storm.

Krovanh is expected to continue moving north toward Okinawa from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning, before turning westward Friday afternoon and slowing significantly.

By Saturday, the storm's forward speed is forecast to drop to just 5 to 8 kilometers per hour as it dips southward, before turning east again around Monday — an unusually erratic track.

Under the current projected path, the storm's center is unlikely to pass directly over Jeju. However, the typhoon's strong-wind radius and surrounding atmospheric pressure systems could still bring powerful winds and high waves to both land and maritime areas around Jeju.

The KMA forecast that a strong-wind advisory could be issued for most of Jeju — excluding the southern part of Seogwipo — between midnight and 6 a.m. Friday.

Because the typhoon is expected to slow considerably, its impact on Jeju could vary significantly depending on shifts in its position and intensity.

Key variables determining the storm's ultimate reach will be where exactly off Okinawa it turns westward and how far south it subsequently travels.