CONCERNS RISE WITH ‘BAVI’ PASSING THROUGH SEOUL

[Anchor Lead]

Typhoon Bavi is expected to cause much damage from strong winds rather than heavy rain. The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts that the typhoon would bring a gust of more than 35 meters per second as it passes over the Seoul metropolitan area during tomorrow's morning rush hour. It is advised that commuters make adjustments and take other proactive measures to avoid chaos and harm.

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​[Soundbite] "Oh, he is blown away!"

A construction worker rolls away on the pavement. He was blown away by Typhoon Lingling's strong wind as it passed over the Seoul metropolitan region. A 15-meter church steeple toppled on top of a parked car in the capital. Lingling's maximum instantaneous wind speed in Seoul was 28.4 meters per second. Typhoon Bavi is expected to whip the metropolitan area with a much stronger wind of 35 meters per second. That's forceful enough to overturn a speeding train.

[Soundbite] PROF. JEONG CHANG-SAM(DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, INDUK UNIV.) : "Most people probably have never experienced wind speed of over 30m/s. Wind speed of just 15m/s could knock down a sign or a streetlight."

Bavi is likely to pass through Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi-do areas... during the morning rush hours, from early tomorrow morning to 10 AM. Mass casualties could occur if trees are knocked down or signs are blown away from buildings amid a crowd. High-rise clusters such as Yeouido or Gangnam areas in Seoul or Songdo in Incheon are at greater risk because of powerful building wind. Experts advise people to stay indoors while the typhoon is passing over the area. Commuters should take preemptive measures such as adjusting the time to punch in for work.

[Soundbite] PROF. JEONG CHANG-SAM(DEPT. OF CIVIL ENGINEERING, INDUK UNIV.) : "It is important for the head of each local government, agency, and business to adjust office hours and facilitate flexible working hours for the 27th to minimize casualties."

Koreans must urgently make necessary preparations as record-breaking gale-force winds are expected. Windows should be secured to prevent the frames from shaking and breaking the glass. Any object that can be blown away like a standing signboard must be moved indoors. Other types of attachments should be checked to see if they're securely fastened. Tarps or structures at construction sites are prone to be swept away, so they need to be placed on the ground or firmly tied up.