Typhoons in North Korea
Typhoons occurfrequently in North Korea. On average, they happen about 6 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Hwanghae-namdo, Kangwon-do and Hamgyong-namdo.The typhoon season in the Pacific usually begins with less severe storms in April and does not end until November. The most severe typhoons usually occur in August and September.
The most severe typhoon to make landfall in North Korea in the past 12 months was »Nanmadol«. It reached a wind speed of up to 100 km/h on September 19, 2022 at 3:00 pm local time near Hoeyang and was 221 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a tropical storm typhoon. On the open sea, speeds of up to 248 km/h were measured (category 4).
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Back to overview: North Korea
Current satellite image of the western Pacific
03.06.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent typhoons in North Korea since 2018
Nanmadol: September 12-19, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 248 km/h
on land:
max. 100 km/h
Diameter:
max. 926 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Muifa: September 6-16, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
on land:
max. 69 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Hwanghae-namdo
Hinnamnor: August 28 to September 6, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
Diameter:
max. 344 km
Air pressure:
below 915 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall in North Korea. On September 6th, 2022 at 9:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 324 km southwest of Hoeyang in Kangwon-do.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Seogwipo in South Korea on September 6th at 12:00 am.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Seogwipo in South Korea on September 6th at 12:00 am.
Songda: July 29 to August 1, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 54 km/h
on land:
max. 46 km/h
Diameter:
max. 467 km
Air pressure:
below 991 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical depression
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Hwanghae-namdo
Chanthu: September 6-18, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 274 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall in North Korea. On September 17th, 2021 at 12:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 511 km south of Kaesong in Hwanghae-namdo.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Fukuecho in Japan on September 17th at 12:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Fukuecho in Japan on September 17th at 12:00 pm.
Chanthu: September 5-20, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 282 km/h
on land:
max. 93 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 905 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Hwanghae-namdo
Omais: August 7-31, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 96 km/h
Diameter:
max. 630 km
Air pressure:
below 993 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
The typhoon did not make direct landfall in North Korea. On August 24th, 2021 at 3:00 am it had the shortest distance at about 192 km southwest of Kaesong in Hwanghae-namdo.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Jeju in South Korea on August 23rd at 9:00 pm.
Instead, the first landfall occurred near Jeju in South Korea on August 23rd at 9:00 pm.
Lupit: August 2-15, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 937 km
Air pressure:
below 978 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Kangwon-do
Kangwon-do
Haishen: August 30 to September 10, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1482 km
Eye:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 910 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Yanggang-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Yanggang-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Maysak: August 26 to September 7, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
on land:
max. 148 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Bavi: August 20-29, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
on land:
max. 170 km/h
Diameter:
max. 685 km
Eye:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
P'yongan-bukto
Chagang-do
Hwanghae-namdo
P'yongan-bukto
Chagang-do
Jangmi: August 6-14, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
on land:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 722 km
Air pressure:
below 990 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Rason
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Rason
Hagupit: July 30 to August 12, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 139 km/h
on land:
max. 46 km/h
Diameter:
max. 556 km
Air pressure:
below 971 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Hwanghae-bukto
Hamgyong-namdo
Hwanghae-namdo
Hwanghae-bukto
Hamgyong-namdo
Mitag: September 24 to October 5, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 143 km/h
on land:
max. 93 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Air pressure:
below 965 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Tapah: September 17-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
on land:
max. 111 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Lingling: August 30 to September 12, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 207 km/h
on land:
max. 152 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Pyongyang
Chagang-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Hwanghae-namdo
Pyongyang
Chagang-do
Hamgyong-bukto
Krosa: August 4-17, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
on land:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1759 km
Air pressure:
below 945 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Rason
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Rason
Lekima: August 2-14, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 217 km/h
on land:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1159 km
Air pressure:
below 918 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
P'yongan-bukto
Hwanghae-namdo
P'yongan-bukto
Francisco: August 1-11, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 130 km/h
on land:
max. 56 km/h
Diameter:
max. 444 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Danas: July 14-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
on land:
max. 74 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 984 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
Hwanghae-namdo
Kangwon-do
Hamgyong-namdo
Hamgyong-bukto
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.
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