People holding umbrellas stand at a crosswalk in central Seoul on April 20. [NEWS1]
Heavy spring rain, accompanied by strong winds, thunder and lightning, is expected to drench most of the country through Tuesday afternoon, according to the state weather agency.
Rain that began in central regions Monday morning is expected to spread southward, bringing strong winds, lightning and possible hail to some areas due to unstable atmospheric conditions.
Light rain started falling around 10 a.m. on Monday in parts of Gyeonggi, inland Gangwon regions and the northern parts of South Chungcheong, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Hail mixed with thunder and lightning was also observed over waters far off the Yellow Sea.
Rain is expected to reach North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang later in the afternoon. The rain band is forecast to extend into South Jeolla, Jeju Island and South Gyeongsang on Tuesday. The rain is forecast to taper off in most regions by Tuesday night.
However, mountainous inland parts of Gangwon may continue to receive rain through Wednesday. The central parts of Gangwon areas along the shoreline of the East Sea are expected to see additional rainfall on Thursday.
The rainy weather is being driven by warm, humid southwesterly winds colliding with a barometric ridge in the north. Satellite imagery on Monday showed southwesterly winds pushing warm, humid air toward the Korean Peninsula, while the atmospheric ridge is sitting in the North.
Moisture-laden air meets a trough that creates rising air currents. It leads to unstable weather conditions, including heavy showers, thunderstorms and hail.
A satellite image shows rain clouds over the Korean Peninsula on May 11. [KOREA METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION]
The heaviest rainfall is expected in the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions.
The Jeolla region — including Gwangju — is expected to receive 10 to 60 millimeters (0.39 to 2.36 inches) of rain. The precipitation forecast for Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong ranges between 10 and 50 millimeters.
Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang, Daegu, North Gyeongsang and Jeju are likely to see 5 to 40 millimeters of rain.
Southern Gyeonggi and the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon are expected to receive 5 to 20 millimeters of rain. Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi and the five islands in the Yellow Sea are forecast to see 5 to 10 millimeters, while eastern coastal areas of Gangwon are expected to receive less than 5 millimeters. Ulleung Island and Dokdo are forecast to receive around 5 millimeters of rainfall.
Strong winds are also expected nationwide.
A structure holding an election banner is seen damaged by strong wind in Gangwon on May 8. [YONHAP]
“Strong winds of 20 to 45 kilometers (12 to 27 miles) per hour and waves reaching 1 to 2.5 meters (3.28 to 8.20 feet) are expected over waters far off the Yellow Sea on Monday,” a KMA official said. “On Tuesday, thunderstorms and sudden gusts are expected over the Yellow Sea, southern coast and waters around Jeju Island, so vessels operating in those areas should exercise caution.”
Inland regions in the country, including North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang, are also forecast to experience powerful gusts, with instantaneous wind speeds reaching 15 to 20 meters per second.
Dense fog is expected to develop over coastal waters, particularly in the western parts of the Yellow Sea and the southern coast. In some island areas, visibility could be less than 200 meters due to thick sea fog.
Temperatures are expected to dip slightly after the rain before climbing back above seasonal averages beginning Wednesday. Daytime highs on Tuesday are forecast to range from 19 to 23 degrees Celsius (66.2 to 73.4 degrees Fahrenheit), down about 3 degrees from 20 to 26 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Temperatures are then expected to rebound to between 20 and 26 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, with highs climbing to as much as 29 degrees Celsius on the following day.
“Areas including inland parts of the Gyeongsang region are expected to see temperature swings of around 15 degrees between day and night,” a KMA official said. “People should take extra care of their health.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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