Monsoon rains to make comeback starting Saturday, sweltering heat wave to follow
During its press briefing, the KMA stated that rain is expected to fall in the early hours of Saturday in the Greater Seoul region, which includes Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, as well as inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province, before expanding toward southern parts of the country later that day in the afternoon.
'On Saturday, moisture brought in by a high-pressure system is likely to cause rainfall in most parts of the country,' said KMA forecast analyst Lee Chang-jae. 'Southern regions, in particular, could see intense convective rain accompanied by thunder and lightning in the afternoon or evening.'
Southern parts of North Chungcheong Province, inland parts of North Jeolla Province and southern inland parts of North Gyeongsang Province can expect Saturday's rainfall to last late into the night.
According to the KMA, accumulated rainfall is expected to range between 5 and 30 millimeters in the Greater Seoul region, while Gangwon Province can expect to see accumulated rainfall of 5 to 20 mm. Other parts of the country could see rainfall ranging between 5 and 40 mm.
As a more developed stationary front moves northeastward from China and settles over North Korea on Sunday, the Greater Seoul region and western parts of Gangwon Province will see heavy rain forecast to last through Monday. Sudden rain showers may also be observed on Sunday afternoon in the North and South Chungcheong provinces and the southern region.
The brief monsoon rains of the season, however, will not bring much relief from the heat.
In southern parts of the country, the KMA stated that warm southwesterly winds are likely to push wind chill daytime temperatures upward to around 33 C, making it possible that heat wave advisories will be issued.
As of 11 a.m. on Friday, the first heat wave advisory of the year was issued in some southern parts of the country, including cities such as Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and Ulsan. Heat wave advisories in Korea are issued when the highest apparent temperature is expected to reach over 33 C for more than two consecutive days.
While rain continues to fall, Seoul and surrounding regions are also expected to experience temperatures of around 30 C over the weekend. The KMA added that eastern coastal areas of Gangwon Province may experience tropical nights, as descending warm winds drive nighttime temperatures higher.
Meanwhile, the KMA is also closely monitoring the potential development of a tropical disturbance next week east of the Philippines, which could evolve into a typhoon.
'If this system intensifies into a typhoon, it could significantly influence how the stationary front affects the Korean Peninsula and its trajectory,' Lee added.
'Given the extremely warm sea surface temperatures in that area, we cannot rule out the chance of a typhoon formation ― so we are on the lookout for multiple possible scenarios.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Germany swelters as European heat wave moves eastward
BERLIN (AFP) -- A punishing early summer heat wave that has already scorched western and southern Europe spread east Wednesday, bringing extreme weather warnings to Germany and reportedly causing motorways to buckle. But some relief is due to arrive from the Atlantic and spread across the continent. Germany's national weather service warned of "exceptionally high" temperatures reaching close to 40 degrees Celsius in places Wednesday. In Berlin, 18-year-old Nora said her strawberry stand on the side of the road felt "like a sauna" before temperatures had even reached their peak. Her boss had told her to close the stall if she felt unwell, as the German capital sweated under a hot sun, Nora told Agence France-Presse. The heat was causing disruptions to transport, with Germany's national rail operator Deutsche Bahn warning of impaired services in the west of the country, where temperatures were highest. In the northwest, close to the city of Bremen, the heat had caused the surface of the motorway to buckle in places, creating a danger for drivers, local media reported. The acute high temperatures added to an extended period of unusually hot and dry weather through the first half of the year. As well as an increased risk of forest fires, Germany's rivers are also running low, causing problems for navigating the country's waterways. In the eastern city of Dresden, the level of the Elbe river has sunk to just 64 centimeters, compared with an average of around two meters. Holger Boehme, the owner of a floating theater, said it was "strange" to see the usually wide river shrink to a fraction of its usual size. "There has always been high water and low water, but this type of extreme high water and extreme low is truly new in recent years," Boehme told AFP. The current levels of Germany's rivers were typically more likely to be seen at the end of the summer, said Matthias Roeser from the Federal Association of German Inland Navigation. In France, temperatures had cooled slightly overnight into Wednesday but remained high. Paris was expected to experience highs of around 35 C after hitting 40 C on Tuesday, according to weather service Meteo-France. French Health Minister Catherine Vautrin confirmed it was "too early to take stock" of the consequences of the heat wave. But for the Paris metro area there had been a "serious" increase in emergency services' activity of around 15 percent as the mercury rose. An official estimate of the excess mortality linked to the heat wave would take two weeks for French authorities to compile, the ministry indicated. Residents in Spain and Italy may have to wait until the weekend before they experience a drop in temperatures. In Madrid, care worker Grace Guerrero, 65, told AFP she could really "feel the heat" but the air was cooler at her home outside the Spanish capital. A 75-year-old man died in the southern city of Cordoba, bringing the total number of heat-related deaths over the last 10 days in Spain to at least four. Barcelona adopted plans to extend protections for sanitation workers in heat waves, including more water breaks, after a woman died Saturday following her shift. In Italy, at Rome's ancient forum, archeological excavation work stopped early at around 12:30 p.m. as temperatures soared to 35 C. Elena Civitelli, an archeologist with two decades of experience, told AFP she could not remember "suffering so much in the early hours of the morning" as she had in recent days. In Belgium, the Atomium attraction in Brussels, where highs of 34 C were expected, was also set to maintain reduced opening hours for the second day in a row on Wednesday to spare visitors from the afternoon heat. But coastal areas in Belgium were already experiencing lower temperatures Wednesday, and cool winds blowing in from the Atlantic were expected to see highs in France drop to near 28 C on Thursday. The colder front would, however, bring with it the possibility of heavy thunderstorms, according to Meteo-France. The German weather service also warned of storms in eastern Germany and had already issued the weather warnings for severe winds and rain in isolated areas in the western part of the country as of Wednesday afternoon, with temperatures expected to drop to around 30 C or below over the next two days.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Is monsoon season really over? What's next?
Experts say 'too soon' to confirm, fierce heat wave still expected Despite the stifling humidity and blistering heat, the recent absence of rain has sparked speculation that South Korea's summer monsoon season may already be over. But meteorologists caution it is too early to make such a call. As of Tuesday, the seasonal monsoon front, which is usually responsible for Korea's rainy season, remains stalled near the inter-Korean border. Though inactive for days, it has not fully receded, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The front is fluctuating between active and inactive states and could shift south again depending on atmospheric changes around the peninsula. 'Although the rain has stopped temporarily, the monsoon front hasn't completely disappeared,' said a KMA official. 'Given the current pressure systems, it's premature to declare the end of the monsoon.' The confusion stems from how this summer's weather has unfolded. The rainy season began on June 12 on Jeju Island and on June 19 for the southern and central regions — earlier than the average onset date. But since then, rainfall has been sparse. Instead, high humidity and intense heat have gripped much of the country, with heat advisories issued in southern regions where the monsoon front has already passed. This phenomenon, dubbed a 'dry monsoon,' has occurred as the North Pacific High — a large mass of hot, moist air — expanded more quickly than usual, pushing the monsoon front northward. Adding to the complexity is a tropical disturbance east of the Philippines, which is pumping heat into the region and intensifying the North Pacific High. If this tropical system weakens or moves, the high-pressure zone may recede southward, potentially dragging the rainband back over Korea. Such unpredictability makes it difficult for meteorologists to confirm whether the monsoon is truly over. Some experts warn that if the rainy season does end this early, Korea could face a repeat of the extreme heat wave in 2018, when monsoon season ended in early July and gave way to 22 consecutive days of record-breaking heat. Even in the absence of sustained rainfall, the KMA warns of the possibility of sudden, heavy downpours. 'We may not see the traditional, prolonged monsoon rains for a while,' the KMA said, 'but short bursts of intense rain are still likely in many regions.' In the meantime, the agency urges the public to remain cautious amid ongoing heat wave conditions and to check weather forecasts frequently. 'Keep a small umbrella handy and take extra care of your health during these sweltering days,' the official added.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Is monsoon really over? What's next?
Experts say 'too soon' to confirm, fierce heat wave expected next Despite the stifling humidity and blistering heat, the recent absence of rain sparked speculation online that South Korea's summer monsoon season may already be over. Meteorologists caution that it's too early to make such a call. As of Tuesday, the seasonal monsoon front, which is usually responsible for Korea's rainy season, remains stalled near the inter-Korean border. Though inactive for days, it has not fully receded, the Korea Meteorological Administration said. The front is fluctuating between active and inactive states and could shift south again depending on atmospheric changes around the peninsula. 'Although the rain has stopped temporarily, the monsoon front hasn't completely disappeared,' said a KMA official. 'Given the current pressure systems, it's premature to declare the end of the monsoon.' The confusion stems from how the summer weather has unfolded. The rainy season began on June 12 for Jeju and June 19 for the southern and central regions — earlier than the average onset date. But since then, rainfall has been sparse. Instead, high humidity and intense heat have gripped much of the country, with heat advisories issued in southern regions where the monsoon front has already passed. This phenomenon, dubbed a 'dry monsoon,' has occurred as the North Pacific High — a large mass of hot, moist air — expanded more quickly than usual, pushing the monsoon front northward. Adding to the complexity is a tropical disturbance east of the Philippines, which is pumping heat into the region and intensifying the North Pacific High. If this tropical system weakens or moves, the high-pressure zone may recede southward, potentially dragging the rainband back over Korea. Such unpredictability makes it difficult for meteorologists to confirm whether the monsoon is truly over. Some experts warn that if the rainy season does end this early, Korea could face a repeat of the extreme heat wave in 2018, when the monsoon ended in early July and gave way to 22 consecutive days of record-breaking heat. Even in the absence of sustained rainfall, the KMA warns of the possibility of sudden, heavy downpours. 'We may not see the traditional, prolonged monsoon rains for a while,' the KMA said, 'but short bursts of intense rain are still likely in many regions.' In the meantime, the agency urges the public to remain cautious amid ongoing heat wave conditions and to check weather forecasts frequently. 'Keep a small umbrella handy and take extra care of your health during these sweltering days,' the official added.
