KMA warns umbrellas needed for Buddha's Birthday celebrations

Lotus lanterns line Baekdam Temple in Inje County, Gangwon on Thursday, two days prior to Buddha’s Birthday. [YONHAP]

Rain has been forecast for the entire country this weekend, making it yet another wet holiday.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) warned against outdoor activities on Buddha’s Birthday Saturday and the alternative holiday on Monday, saying some areas could get heavy rain coupled with strong winds, thunder and lightning.

According to the KMA Thursday, rain will start to fall from early Friday morning in the central and southern regions, while the rest of the country including the Seoul metropolitan area will be mostly cloudy.

The Seoul metropolitan area, or greater Seoul, refers to Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi.

On Friday afternoon, the inland and mountainous areas of southern Gangwon and the inland areas of North Gyeongsang, South Chungcheong and North Chungcheong will see showers.

On Saturday, five to 20 millimeters of rain (0.2 to 0.8 inches) will likely fall on greater Seoul, the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, northern North Chungcheong and the inland areas of northern North Gyeongsang.

The rain could get more intense on Sunday and Monday, though the KMA refrained from making specific predictions, citing numerous atmospheric variables.

From Tuesday, the entire country, except Jeju Island and some parts of the southern region, will remain sunny for a while, the KMA said.

In terms of temperatures, they were forecast to be similar to averages from previous years.

The low for Friday and Saturday will likely be 15 to 19 degrees Celsius (59 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit), a bit higher than the annual average, while the high for those days will likely be 21 to 28 degrees Celsius across the country, about the same as previous years.

The low for Sunday and Monday is expected to range between 15 and 19 degrees, while the high will be 22 to 25 degrees.

Earlier this month, the law was revised to designate so-called substitute holidays for Buddha’s Birthday and Christmas in case the two public holidays fall on a Saturday or Sunday. With Buddha’s Birthday falling on Saturday this year, the following Monday has been named a substitute holiday, allowing many workers to take the day off.

BY JEONG EUN-HYE, LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]