Heavy rains forecast for central region through Thursday morning

With the whole nation in the middle of the annual monsoon season, heavy downpours reaching up to 300 millimeters are forecast to pound the central region, including the Seoul metropolitan area, between Tuesday night and Thursday morning, the state weather agency said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said 100 millimeters to 200 millimeters of monsoon rains are expected to soak the capital area and almost all parts of the central region, including Gangwon and Chungcheong provinces, until early Thursday.

The precipitation may reach up to 300 millimeters in some mountainous districts in the central region, the KMA said.

Elsewhere, 50 millimeters to 100 millimeters are forecast for southern South Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, northern North Gyeongsang Province and Yellow Sea islands near the North Korean border, though the precipitation may exceed 150 millimeters in some areas of North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang provinces, the KMA said.

The amount of rainfall forecast in the southern regions and on Jeju Island until Thursday ranges from 5 millimeters to 80 millimeters.

The KMA said heavy downpours are expected to hit the Seoul metropolitan area, western parts of Gangwon Province and northern parts of Chungcheong provinces between Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, while the monsoon rain belt is expected to move south toward Wednesday night.

Between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the central region will again be hit by torrential downpours, which will be far heavier than the previous night's rainfall, the agency said.

The KMA said the atmospheric conditions on the Korean Peninsula will remain highly volatile for the time being, as tropical disturbances are developing in the South China Sea and the Philippine Sea.

Yonhap