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Korea Herald
7 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
More extreme rain expected in drenched southern regions
South Korea is bracing for another bout of heavy rainfall this week, just a day after powerful downpours swept through southern portions of the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday, a narrow band of concentrated rain clouds is expected to stretch across the country from north to south between Wednesday and Thursday. 'Rain clouds resembling such a shape and pattern could bring another round of extreme, localized torrential rainfall — specifically focused on the already rain-stricken southern regions,' said KMA official Gong Sang-min at Monday's press briefing. Between Sunday and Monday morning, Korea's southern region saw accumulated rainfall exceed 190 millimeters. As of 10 a.m., Muan, South Jeolla Province, had seen 289.6 millimeters of rainfall, while Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gwangju received 212.7 mm and 197.9 mm, respectively. As a developing low-pressure system passes over North Korea early Wednesday morning, rain will likely first reach Seoul and surrounding regions. The atmosphere is expected to become increasingly unstable as hot and humid air from the south continues to push northward, sparking additional showers in the southern region throughout the rest of the day. From Wednesday afternoon, rain clouds are expected to move south, with heavy rain to persist until Thursday morning. Cooler, drier air flowing into the Korean Peninsula from the northwest is forecast to move southward, clashing with warm air flowing into the country from the south, creating unstable atmospheric conditions and ideal conditions for the formation of a long and narrow rain band. 'The cool, dry air from the north being resisted by the warm, moist air from the south can lead to the creation of strip-shaped rain bands, resulting in concentrated downpours over specific areas,' said Gong. 'If the influence of the moist, hot air from the south and the influence of the dry, cold air from the north holds similar power, such differing air conditions could clash with each other and create ideal conditions for the formation of long and narrow rain bands.' As of Monday, 30 to 80 mm of accumulated rain was expected to fall in the Greater Seoul region, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province and the North and South Chungcheong provinces. North Jeolla Province may also see 10 to 60 mm of rain. Though high temperatures are likely to subside after Wednesday's heavy rain, the decrease in temperatures would only be temporary; heat wave watches, issued when apparent temperatures are expected to exceed 33 degrees Celsius, are expected to remain. However, as cold, dry air continues to flow into the country from the north, the KMA added that tropical nights may cease from Thursday in Seoul, where 15 consecutive tropical nights were recorded from July 19 to Aug. 2.
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Heavy rain to return to S. Korea with extreme downpours in southern regions
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Cooler, drier air flowing into the Korean Peninsula from the north-west is forecast to move southward. SEOUL – South Korea is bracing for another bout of heavy rainfall this week, just a day after powerful downpours swept through southern portions of the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Aug 4 , a narrow band of concentrated rain clouds is expected to stretch across the country from north to south between Aug 6 and 7. 'Rain clouds resembling such a shape and pattern could bring another round of extreme, localised torrential rainfall – specifically focused on the already rain-stricken southern regions,' said KMA official Gong Sang-min at a press briefing on Aug 4 . Between Aug 3 and the morning of Aug 4 , Korea's southern region saw accumulated rainfall of beyond 190mm. As o f 10am (0100 GMT) , Muan, South Jeolla Province, had seen 289.6mm of rainfall, while Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gwangju had seen 212.7mm and 197.9mm, respectively. As a developing low-pressure system passes over North Korea from the wee hours of the morning o f Aug 6 , rain will likely first be observed in Seoul and surrounding regions. The atmosphere is expected to become increasingly unstable as hot and humid air from the south continues to push northward – sparking additional showers in the southern region throughout the rest of the day. From the afternoon of Aug 6 , rain clouds are expected to move south, with heavy rain to persist until the morning of Aug 7 . Cooler, drier air flowing into the Korean Peninsula from the north-west is forecast to move southward, clashing with warm air flowing into the country from the south, creating unstable atmospheric conditions and ideal conditions for the formation of a long and narrow rain band. 'The cool, dry air from the north being resisted by the warm, moist air from the south can lead to the creation of strip-shaped rain bands, resulting in concentrated downpours over specific areas,' said Mr Gong. 'If the influence of the moist, hot air from the south and the influence of the dry, cold air from the north holds similar power, such differing air conditions could clash with each other and create ideal conditions for the formation of long and narrow rain bands.' As of Aug 4 , 30mm to 80mm of accumulated rain was expected to fall in the Greater Seoul region, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province and North and South Chungcheong provinces. North Jeolla Province may also see 10mm to 60mm of rain. Though high temperatures are likely to subside after heavy rain on Aug 6 , the decrease in temperatures would only be temporary, as heat wave watches, issued when apparent temperatures are expected to exceed 33 deg C, are expected to remain. However, as cold, dry air continues to flow into the country from the north, the KMA added that there is a chance for tropical nights to cease from A ug 7 in Seoul, which saw 15 consecutive tropical nights from July 19 to Aug 2. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Korea Herald
04-08-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Heavy rains to return with extreme downpours in southern regions
South Korea is bracing for another bout of heavy rainfall this week, just a day after powerful downpours swept through southern portions of the country. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday, a narrow band of concentrated rain clouds is expected to stretch across the country from north to south between Wednesday and Thursday. 'Rain clouds resembling such a shape and pattern could bring another round of extreme, localized torrential rainfall — specifically focused on the already rain-stricken southern regions,' said KMA official Gong Sang-min at Monday's press briefing. Between Sunday and Monday morning, Korea's southern region saw accumulated rainfall of beyond 190 millimeters. As of 10 a.m., Muan, South Jeolla Province, had seen 289.6 millimeters of rainfall, while Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gwangju had seen 212.7 mm and 197.9 mm, respectively. As a developing low-pressure system passes over North Korea from the wee hours of Wednesday morning, rain will likely first be observed in Seoul and surrounding regions. The atmosphere is expected to become increasingly unstable as hot and humid air from the south continues to push northward — sparking additional showers in the southern region throughout the rest of the day. From Wednesday afternoon, rain clouds are expected to move south, with heavy rain to persist until Thursday morning. Cooler, drier air flowing into the Korean Peninsula from the northwest is forecast to move southward, clashing with warm air flowing into the country from the south, creating unstable atmospheric conditions and ideal conditions for the formation of a long and narrow rain band. 'The cool, dry air from the north being resisted by the warm, moist air from the south can lead to the creation of strip-shaped rain bands, resulting in concentrated downpours over specific areas,' said Gong. 'If the influence of the moist, hot air from the south and the influence of the dry, cold air from the north holds similar power, such differing air conditions could clash with each other and create ideal conditions for the formation of long and narrow rain bands.' As of Monday, 30 to 80 mm of accumulated rain was expected to fall in the Greater Seoul region, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province and North and South Chungcheong provinces. North Jeolla Province may also see 10 to 60 mm of rain. Though high temperatures are likely to subside after Wednesday's heavy rain, the decrease in temperatures would only be temporary, as heat wave watches, issued when apparent temperatures are expected to exceed 33 degrees Celsius, are expected to remain. However, as cold, dry air continues to flow into the country from the north, the KMA added that there is a chance for tropical nights to cease from Thursday in Seoul, which saw 15 consecutive tropical nights from July 19 to Aug. 2.
Korea Herald
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Showers ease heat, but heavy rain on the way
Most heat wave advisories were lifted after showers fell across much of the country on Sunday, but heavier rain is expected to come throughout the week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. As of 2 p.m., heat wave advisories were lifted for Seoul and neighboring areas, including 26 cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province, as well as Incheon, except for Ongjin County. In Korea, heat wave advisories, as defined by the KMA, are issued when the highest apparent temperature is expected to reach over 33 degrees Celsius for more than two consecutive days. Meanwhile, alerts for heavy rainfall continue to spread, mainly in southern parts of the country. Naju and Jangheung in South Jeolla Province, for example, where more than 30 millimeters of rain fell in an hour, were placed under heavy rain warnings. A heavy rain advisory is issued when more than 90 millimeters of rain is expected to fall in three hours, or over 180 mm in 12 hours. The weather agency forecast up to 150 millimeters of rain through Tuesday in South Jeolla Province and the inland areas of the southeastern Yeongnam region. Rainfall in southern Gyeonggi Province is expected to reach 20 to 60 millimeters, and 10 to 40 millimeters in northern Gyeonggi Province, Incheon and Seoul. While the monsoon rains may bring some relief from the heat, high humidity levels may cause temperatures to feel warmer than they actually are, the agency said. As the rain finally arrived after several scorching days, families and couples at Yeouido Water Light Square were seen joyfully splashing in the water. Others stayed under Mapo Bridge to escape the rain, cooling off in the refreshing breeze. Meanwhile, beaches and valleys across the country remained crowded with vacationers despite the rain. As heavy rain is expected, meteorologist Gong Sang-min at the KMA advised people to avoid approaching rivers or setting up camps nearby, saying "Sudden surges in water levels could occur in areas that had been dry."
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Monsoon season to start early on Jeju Island from June 12
This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. ST PHOTO: ALBERT WAI JEJU - Jeju Island is expected to witness the start of this year's monsoon season on June 12 , with the rain expanding northward until June 14 , according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on June 11 . On the morning of June 12 , rain is expected to fall on Jeju Island due to a stationary front situated south of the region. According to the KMA, the front formed under the influence of Typhoon Utip, the first typhoon of the summer, as it moved northward along the western coast of the Philippines toward southern parts of China. The state weather agency expects the North Pacific high-pressure system to expand westward, pushing the stationary front northward to trigger Jeju Island's first monsoonal rains of the season. This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. If weather conditions persist, this year's monsoonal rains will come a week earlier than usual and would mark the third-earliest monsoon season on record, trailing only 2020 and 2011's June 10 and matching 1998's June 12. On June 12 , the stationary front is expected to move eastward, while hot and humid air from the east of the Philippines will flow into the Korean Peninsula along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system. This will bring heavy rains of up to 60mm to Jeju Island, and up to 40 mm of rain to South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province. Rain clouds will also expand toward North Jeolla Province and southern parts of North Gyeongsang Province by late morning, bringing close to 5 to 20 mm of rain. By the afternoon, North Chungcheong Province as well as northern parts of North Gyeongsang Province can also expect to see rain, ranging between 5 and 10 mm. The KMA added that rain clouds will spread to most regions nationwide, including the Greater Seoul region and Gangwon Province, by June 13 , before clearing up later that night. Despite widespread rainfall, KMA meteorologist Gong Sang-min added that this week's rain is unlikely to mark the official start of monsoon season for other parts of Korea aside from Jeju Island. This is because rain must be triggered by a stationary front to be considered monsoonal rain, not simply from other systems. Though subject to change, heavy rainfall is also expected to fall nationwide from June 15 to June 16 , due to a clash between humid air flowing in from the south and a cold air mass moving down from the north. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
