Rainy season to begin in Seoul and nearby regions

As the rainy season commences in Seoul and nearby regions this weekend, a significant amount of rainfall, up to 120 millimeters, is anticipated. The approaching rainy season, akin to a typhoon, is expected to bring strong winds and gusts. This forecast underscores the need for caution and preparedness.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday, it will start to rain in Jeju from early Saturday morning due to a stationary front. Rain is expected to spread across the entire country – in South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province in the morning, in Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, and North Gyeongsang Province in the afternoon, and in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Gangwon Province at night.

“A stationary front is moving north as the high pressure in the North Pacific expands to Kyushu, Japan, while the low pressure formed in the west is quickly approaching, leading to heavy downpours in central South Korea, including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheong,” a member of the Korea Meteorological Administration said. In addition to the arrival of a rainy season, a large amount of warm steam is flowing in from the south due to a strong south wind coming from the low pressure, which will result in even heavier rainfalls and strong winds.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Seoul, Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and Chungcheong are expected to receive 30 to 100 millimeters of rainfall over the weekend. Some areas may even experience over 120 millimeters of rainfall. This means that more than 10 percent of South Korea's annual average precipitation of 1,150 millimeters could fall in a single day. Some regions in Gyeongsang, including Busan, are expected to receive over 100 millimeters of rainfall, while the mountainous region of Jeju could see over 150 millimeters of rainfall.

Torrential downpours of hourly rainfall of 30 to 50 millimeters are expected from early Sunday morning to late morning on the same day in Seoul and nearby regions, Gangwon, and North Gyeongsang; from Saturday night to early Sunday morning in Chungcheong and North Jeolla; and from Saturday afternoon to early Sunday morning in South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang, and Jeju.


김예윤 기자 yeah@donga.com