Heavy rain, thunderstorms to hit Korea

A stationary front will form over the Korean Peninsula over the weekend, bringing heavy rain across the country through Monday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Saturday, warm and humid air from the south will collide with cold, dry air from the north over the peninsula, causing rain clouds to develop along the stationary front and bring heavy rain to most parts of the country through Monday.

The stationary front will become more active Sunday, forming bands of rain with strong atmospheric instability. Heavy rain is expected to be concentrated particularly in the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions.

From Sunday through Monday, Daejeon, Sejong and South Chungcheong are expected to receive 80 to 150 millimeters (3.1 to 5.9 inches) of rain, with some areas receiving more than 200 millimeters.

North Chungcheong and North Jeolla are expected to receive 50 to 100 millimeters, with some areas receiving more than 150 millimeters.

Seoul, Incheon and northern Gyeonggi are forecast to receive 10 to 60 millimeters, while southern Gyeonggi is expected to receive 30 to 100 millimeters. Southern Gangwon is forecast to receive 30 to 80 millimeters, while central and northern Gangwon could receive 5 to 40 millimeters.

Gwangju and South Jeolla are expected to receive 30 to 80 millimeters, as are Daegu, North Gyeongsang, Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang, Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Jeju is forecast to receive 10 to 60 millimeters.

In particular, sudden downpours of up to 30 to 50 millimeters or more per hour are expected in localized areas during vulnerable nighttime and early morning hours, when visibility is poor and evacuation can be difficult.

Rainfall of 20 to 30 millimeters or more per hour can make it difficult for drivers to see even with windshield wipers operating.

Some areas could receive more than 50 millimeters of rain per hour from Saturday night to early Sunday morning and again from Sunday night into early Monday morning.

The unstable atmosphere could also bring strong winds, thunder and lightning. Authorities advised people to take caution around flood-prone areas such as valleys, riverside areas and underpasses, as well as smaller streams that could overflow.

People should also be alert to landslides and slope collapses, as the ground has been weakened by accumulated rainfall in recent weeks.

Rain is also expected in eastern Gangwon and Jeju on Wednesday and Thursday due to easterly winds.

Temperatures are gradually shifting from summer toward fall.

Daytime highs are expected to remain above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) through early September, but temperatures will gradually fall afterward, with more areas seeing daytime highs around 28 degrees Celsius.

The KMA said the heat is not expected to disappear completely yet, but temperatures are gradually declining.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [[email protected]]