South Korean authorities have announced the evacuation of thousands of Koreans as Typhoon Hinnamoor hit the south of the country, expecting heavy rains and strong winds to continue throughout the day.

Typhoon Hinnamoor hit Jeju Island this morning and could be the strongest storm ever to hit the country.

The typhoon was classified as very strong when it passed through the southern island of Jeju around midnight with an air pressure of 945 hectopascals and a maximum wind speed of 45 kilometers per second, the local meteorological agency said.

“Hinnamur is a very massive typhoon with a radius of 400 km and it can carry strong winds and heavy rains almost across the country,” chief meteorologist Han Sun Ung said at a briefing.

The agency previously reported that “after bypassing Jeju, the typhoon was expected to pass 180 km southwest of the southern port city of Busan with an atmospheric pressure of 945 hectopascals at its center.”

A heavy rain warning had previously been issued across the country, but the warning was raised in areas including the western coastal city of Incheon after the typhoon passed Jeju and continued east.

As a result, 62 elementary, middle and high schools have been temporarily closed, 548 schools have switched to online learning, and a number of ferries and flights across the country have been cancelled.

According to airport authorities, a total of 361 domestic flights were canceled across the country.