Another heavy rainfall forecast for the weekend

Heavy rain, with a maximum of 150 millimeters, is expected to hit the Seoul metropolitan area and the nation’s central Chungcheong region again over the weekend. Central regions, already suffering from accumulated damage due to heavy rainfall of up to 634.5 millimeters on Wednesday and Thursday, are on alert once more.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday, over 150mm of rain is forecasted for the central region on Saturday and Sunday. From Saturday morning, heavy rain with a rate of around 30 millimeters per hour in the metropolitan area and around 50 millimeters per hour in the Chungcheong region is expected. Typically, if the hourly rainfall exceeds 50 millimeters, visibility becomes severely limited, to the extent that it is even difficult to see the person right beside.

The development stage of the low atmospheric pressure system originating from the west and mid-sized low pressure occurring on the stationery monsoon front can increase the precipitation volume. Sources at the KMA said that the atmosphere could become unstable as the monsoon front moves toward the north and the low pressure approaching from the west coast grows, resulting in more and stronger rain than expected in the central region. They further stated that localized torrential downpours can recur if a mid-sized low atmospheric pressure system is added.

Meanwhile, the southern regions, including the southern coast of Jeolla and Jeju, where a heavy rain advisory was issued on Friday morning, have entered a lull since the afternoon of the same day. The KMA forecasts a scorching heat wave starting Saturday in the southern region, including South Gyeongsang Province and Jeju, with the highest perceived temperature expected to surpass 33 degrees Celsius.


Sung-Jin Park psjin@donga.com