Cherry blossom season begins in Seoul with a warm Tuesday, then rain

Environment

Published: 01 Apr. 2024, 18:05 Updated: 01 Apr. 2024, 18:45

Cherry blossom season begins in Seoul with a warm Tuesday, then rain

Tourists in hanbok, or Korean traditional dress, spend time near flowering trees in Gyeongbok Palace in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Monday. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced the official bloom of cherry blossoms in Seoul the same day. [NEWS1]

Korea is set to embrace the warmest day of the year on Tuesday, coinciding with the start of the much-anticipated cherry blossom season in the capital.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Monday officially announced the arrival of cherry blossoms in Seoul. An official bloom is declared when three or more flowers are spotted on a branch of a tree planted near the Seoul Meteorological Observatory in Jongno District, central Seoul.

The announcement on Monday came a week later compared to last year, but was still a week earlier than the average annual records. The peak season of cherry blossoms is anticipated to take place between Thursday and Saturday in Seoul, as it typically takes three to five days for these flowers to reach full blossom.

On Sunday, early sightings of cherry blossoms were also reported on trees along Yunjung-ro in Yeouido, western Seoul. Cherry blossoms were spotted five days earlier in the area last year. However, this year's timing is also six days faster than average annual records.

The later-than-expected blooming of cherry blossoms in the capital, compared to other regions, is attributed to the cold weather and rainfall. Busan observed cherry blossoms last Monday, followed by Yeosu last Tuesday and Daejeon on Saturday.

With the arrival of the spring flower, Seoul's midday high is expected to reach as high as 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) on Tuesday.

However, heavy precipitation is on the horizon for southern regions, with Jeju expecting more than 120 millimeters (4.7 inches) of rain through Wednesday, the KMA said.

On Tuesday, midday highs in central regions are expected to range between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. Southern regions and Jeju Island will experience even warmer temperatures, with midday highs exceeding 20 degrees Celsius.

Midday highs are forecast to hover around 20 degrees Celsius in Incheon, 24 degrees Celsius in Daejeon and 23 degrees Celsius in Daegu.

However, the KMA cautioned about significant temperature fluctuations between midday highs and morning lows possibly exceeding a difference of 15 degrees Celsius. The morning low in the capital on Tuesday is anticipated to hover around 8 degrees Celsius.

From Tuesday afternoon onward, southern regions will witness cloudier skies when the rain arrives. The heavy precipitation, accompanied by strong gusts, is expected to spread nationwide on Wednesday, subsiding by nightfall.

Around 20 to 60 millimeters of rain are anticipated to arrive in South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang through Wednesday. More than 80 millimeters of rain are anticipated along Mount Jiri and the east coast, while areas near Mount Halla on Jeju Island may experience more than 120 millimeters of rainfall through Wednesday.

The capital expects less than 5 millimeters of rain during the same period.

The KMA warned residents to check their flight and ship schedules regularly as heavy rains accompanied by strong gusts are expected on Jeju and along the east coast.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]