Rain, strong winds to hit Korea's holiday finale
Rain will spread across much of Korea from Sunday night into Monday, bringing gusts, thunder and slippery roads on the substitute holiday.
Cosmos flowers bloom along the Ssangcheon Stream in Yangyang County, Gangwon, with Ulsanbawi, a rock formation on Mt. Seorak, in the background on Friday.
YONHAP
Rain will fall across much of the country from Sunday night through Monday morning, with strong winds expected on Monday, the last day of the long weekend.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said in a forecast released Saturday that skies will be partly cloudy nationwide on Sunday before gradually clouding over late at night. The east coast of the southeastern Gyeongsang region and Jeju Island will be mostly cloudy.
The three-day weekend began Saturday with National Foundation Day, a public holiday marking the legendary founding of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon. Monday is a substitute holiday.
Light rain may fall in Busan, Ulsan and along the east coast of North Gyeongsang from early Sunday morning, with rain continuing in some parts of these areas from the morning through the afternoon.
Rain will then begin in Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi and northern inland Gangwon on Sunday night. It will spread to parts of the central region, the Jeolla region, northwestern inland North Gyeongsang, western inland South Gyeongsang and Jeju Island from early Monday through the morning.
Expected rainfall from Sunday night through Monday is 5 to 30 millimeters (0.2 to 1.2 inches) for Incheon, northern Gyeonggi and northern inland Gangwon, and 5 to 10 millimeters for Seoul and southern Gyeonggi.
Inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, excluding the northern inland area, are forecast to receive 5 to 20 millimeters, while the central and northern east coast of Gangwon will see less than 5 millimeters. The Chungcheong region is expected to get around 5 millimeters, and the Jeolla region less than 5 millimeters.
In the Gyeongsang region, 5 to 10 millimeters of rain is forecast for Busan, Ulsan and the east coast of North Gyeongsang on Sunday. On Monday, western inland South Gyeongsang and northwestern inland North Gyeongsang will see less than 5 millimeters, and Ulleung Island and Dokdo will see 5 to 10 millimeters. Jeju Island will get less than 5 millimeters.
Though rainfall amounts will be small, it may fall heavily at times. From Sunday night through noon Monday, gusts, thunder and lightning are expected in some areas where it rains. At sea, gusts, thunder and lightning are forecast mainly over the Yellow Sea from Sunday afternoon and over the East Sea on Monday.
Temperatures on Sunday and Monday are expected to be similar to seasonal averages.
Morning lows on Sunday will range from 8 to 18 degrees Celsius (46 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit), with daytime highs of 22 to 25 degrees Celsius, similar to Saturday. The gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures will be around 15 degrees Celsius, mainly in the central region and inland North Gyeongsang.
Monday's morning lows will range from 11 to 17 degrees Celsius, slightly higher than average, while daytime highs of 19 to 25 degrees Celsius will be similar to or slightly lower than average.
Winds will strengthen on Monday. Gusts of around 55 kilometers per hour (34 miles per hour) are expected in most parts of the country, and around 70 kilometers per hour in mountainous areas.
Visibility may be low and roads slippery in rainy areas, and strong winds could damage signs and other structures.
"When driving, please keep a sufficiently safe distance and slow down, and take special care regarding traffic safety and accidents," the KMA said in its forecast.
BY CHEON GWON-PIL [[email protected]]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
