Rain likely to continue across Korea until Tuesday

A mother covers her two children with an umbrella in Gwanghwamun Square, central Seoul on Sunday. [YONHAP]

Rain will likely continue across Korea until Tuesday, after the holiday weekend is over, the national weather service said Sunday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), hot and humid air from the Indochinese Peninsula is expected to meet cold air pushed out by an expanding high-pressure area north of the Korean Peninsula, resulting in rain clouds over the country.

As the cold air continues to be pushed south, so too will the rain front, the weather service forecast.

Scattered showers are expected to persist through Tuesday as the rain front stalls between two high-pressure atmospheric areas.

The KMA predicted that rain will continue to fall until mid-day on Monday in the central regions of the country, until the evening in North Gyeongsang and until Tuesday night in the southern regions of the country.

Heavy showers are expected to persist over Jeju Island until Wednesday.

Precipitation nationwide is expected to range from 30 to 80 millimeters (1.2 to 3.1 inches) from Saturday to Tuesday.

Rainfall in that four-day period is likely to exceed 100 millimeters in the Chungcheong region, the interior and southeastern coast of North Gyeongsang, and most of North Jeolla.

By comparison, precipitation is expected to be relatively low along the east coast of Gangwon, Ulleung Island and Dokdo, with these regions expected to see only between 20 and 60 millimeters of rain.

The wettest part of the rain front is expected to move from the Chungcheong region to North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang on Monday morning, then onto South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang Monday night or early Tuesday morning before reaching Jeju later on Tuesday.

According to the weather service, Typhoon Mawar, which is currently moving northwest in waters 1,360 kilometers (845 miles) northeast of Manila, will not affect rainfall over the Korean Peninsula.

Mawar is expected to turn northeast as it crosses the 20th parallel north and pass over Okinawa before heading out into the Pacific Ocean.

The KMA said there is a possibility that Mawar could creep up the peninsula, but that the strength of the typhoon is predicted to drastically wane by the time it approaches the country.

BY MICHAEL LEE [lee.junhyuk@joongang.co.kr]