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Heavy rain expected in southern regions over weekend as second rainy season arrives

Published: 08 Aug. 2025, 15:39

Vehicles move slowly through heavy rain on a road in Gwangju, where a heavy rain warning was in effect on Aug. 3. [NEWS1]

Up to 150 millimeters (5.9 inches) of rain is expected in southern regions over the weekend due to the influence of a stationary front, known in Korea as the jangma front. The front is forecast to move northward afterward, bringing a second rainy season nationwide until Liberation Day on Aug. 15.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Friday that strong and heavy rain will fall mainly in the south on Saturday and Sunday. Rain will begin early Saturday in coastal South Jeolla and Jeju Island before spreading to Jeolla and South Gyeongsang later in the morning.

From Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, areas under the stationary front — mainly in the south — are expected to see extremely heavy rainfall of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour. Gwangju and the rest of South Jeolla are forecast to receive 50 to 100 millimeters through Sunday, with localized areas seeing more than 150 millimeters. Other southern regions could see up to 100 millimeters.

From Sunday afternoon, the stationary front will temporarily shift south of Jeju, bringing a lull in rainfall. But on Monday, the northward expansion of the North Pacific high-pressure system is expected to push the front back north. Rain will spread from the south nationwide on Tuesday. On Wednesday and Thursday, the front is expected to linger over central regions, bringing heavy downpours to the greater Seoul area.

The northward movement of the stationary front under the influence of the North Pacific high after the official end of the rainy season is not uncommon. This phenomenon is called the “second rainy season” or “autumn rainy season” in Korea.

A street in Unam-dong, Buk District in Gwangju, is flooded due to the heavy rain on Aug. 3 at night. [YONHAP]

“The pattern of the North Pacific high expanding from the south next week is similar to what we typically see at the end of the summer rainy season,” said Lee Chang-jae, a forecast analyst at the KMA. “If the front stalls for a long time, rainfall can increase rapidly.”

Heat to return after Liberation Day

The rain will temporarily temper the summer heat. Daytime highs in Seoul are expected to reach 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit) on Saturday, the malbok — the last of Korea’s three hottest summer days. Highs will rise to 32 degrees Celsius, though high humidity will make it feel hotter, on Sunday.

Once the rainy season ends after Liberation Day, heat wave conditions are forecast to return. “In the latter half of next week, as the North Pacific high expands over the country, temperatures will rise and the heat wave is expected to intensify,” Lee said.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]