`Guerilla` Rainfall Warning

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecasted yesterday that the monsoon season will begin in Cheju on 23rd, and will be in a lull after pouring a large amount of rainfall until the beginning of July. And after the monsoon season ends, there will be the localized torrential rains until the end of August.

A torrential rain refers to the rainfall over 30mm per hour or the rainfall over 100mm per day.

An official of the KMA told that ``the localized (guerilla) torrential rain can be forecasted only 3 hours before. The measures should be established in advance to the forecast``.

The Rural Development Administration solicited that ``in case that the rice plants are immersed in water due to the torrential rain, the `white leaves disfigurement` is likely to break out. Therefore, the farmers should drain the water from the rice field in order to help the rice plants breathe, and should scatter the agricultural treatment``.

Meanwhile, the precipitation from 17th to 3:00pm, 19th , recorded as follows; Seoul (43.0 mm), Chunchon (58.9 mm), Chongju (101.1 mm), Taejon (102.3 mm), Chonju (121.1 mm), Kwangju (65.9 mm), Taegu (108.6 mm), and Pusan (174.1 mm).

The KMA forecasted that the whole country will be overcast, and Seoul, Kyonggi, Kangwon, Choongchung provinces will see some showers (rainfall probability of 30 percent) in the afternoon on 20th.

Kim Joon-Seok kjs359@donga.com