Cloudy skies, 'moderately strong` winds over N. Korean launch site: weather agency

(ATTN: UPDATES the story with adjusted forecast of wind speed from weak to
moderately strong, additional adjustments expected)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, April 3 (Yonhap) -- Cloudy skies and moderately strong winds are expected
this weekend for North Korea's northeast region, where the country may soon
launch a rocket, South Korea's weather agency said Friday.
Wind speed in Musudan-ri, a mountainous village along the east coast in North
Hamgyong Province, where North Korea has been preparing for the launch, will be 6
to 10 meters per second, a range categorized as "moderately strong," said the
Korea Meteorological Administration. The wind direction will likely blow out of
the northwest or west, it said.
Cloudy skies are likely also on Sunday, but the winds will start slowing down in
the afternoon and blow 3 to 4 meters per second on Monday.
The weather agency earlier said no strong winds are generally expected in the
Hamgyong region, but it adjusted its forecast specifically for the Musudan-ri
site, citing its location that usually triggers strong winds. Musudan-ri is
located at the eastern edge of a mountain chain facing the East Sea.
"Winds blowing from the mountain top to bottom usually get strong, like strong
gusts of winds that are common in our eastern coast," Yoon Myeong-yeol, an
official for the weather watchdog, said.
The northeastern coastal region will be under a relatively low atmospheric
pressure trough on Saturday and Sunday, which usually leads to cloudy weather,
the agency said.
Rocket experts say the biggest meteorological factor that could decide the
success of a launch is the strength of wind gusts.
The weather is forecast to be relatively sunny on Monday as a high atmospheric
pressure system descends over the region, he said. Cloudy skies are again
expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, with wind speeds of up to 5 to 8 meters per
second, the weather agency said.
But it cautioned that the accuracy of its forecast is limited due to a lack of
data. South Korea receives North Korean weather information from the World
Meteorological Organization, a U.N. weather watchdog, to which North Korea's
weather agency submits its data, and there is no direct channel between the two
Koreas, Lim said.
North Korea said it will launch the communications satellite "Kwangmyongsong-2"
via carrier rocket Unha-2 during daylight hours between April 4 and 8. U.S.
defense officials said on Wednesday North Korea is fueling the rocket in a final
step toward the launch, a sign it could take place as early as Saturday.
South Korea, the U.S. and Japan suspect the satellite launch is a cover for
testing North Korea's long-range missile test and have threatened U.N. sanctions
if it goes ahead with the launch.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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