Nation battens down hatches with monsoon rains set to restart Thursday

Social Affairs

Published: 03 Jul. 2024, 12:22 Updated: 03 Jul. 2024, 18:21

Nation battens down hatches with monsoon rains set to restart Thursday

People with umbrellas stroll on Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung. [YONHAP]

Monsoon rain is expected to begin again Thursday afternoon in the greater Seoul area and expand to northeastern regions, according to the state weather agency Wednesday.

Heavy rain will drench the nation from Thursday night to Friday morning, with the Chungcheong region and North Jeolla experiencing up to 50 millimeters of rainfall per hour, said Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA).

Most of the country will see rainfall between 20 to 30 millimeters per hour, accompanied by strong winds, thunderstorms and lightning.

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On Wednesday, the nation experienced a relatively warm morning as a stationary front moved away, according to the KMA on Wednesday.

The warm and often cloudy weather persisted throughout the day in northern regions, while southern areas endured sweltering heat following the end of the rains.

A heat wave advisory was issued for several areas, including South and North Jeolla, South and North Gyeongsang and Jeju Island, as well as the cities of Gwangju, Daegu, Ulsan and Busan at noon.

Daytime temperatures ranged from 25 to 34 degrees Celsius (93 degrees Fahrenheit), with Daegu recording the highest temperature at 33.6 degrees Celsius as of 5 p.m., according to the KMA.

On Tuesday night, Jeju Island and southern regions experienced tropical nights, with temperatures not dropping below 25 degrees Celsius between 6:01 p.m. and 9 a.m.

Busan and South Gyeongsang also had their first tropical nights on Tuesday.

The continuous influx of warm, humid wind from the southwest, combined with high daytime temperatures showing no signs of cooling down, has resulted in tropical nights.

With heavy rain expected on Thursday night, the KMA advises the public to avoid camping since downstream water levels can rapidly increase due to heavy rainfall near upstream rivers.

People are also warned against visiting trails along streams or underground tunnels and to be particularly cautious of lowland and stream flooding and rapid currents.

The KMA also told people to be mindful of landslides and potential destruction of facilities.

UPDATE, July 3: Story updated to reflect latest weather predictions.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]