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Strong winds and heavy rainfall forecast across Korea in coming days

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 12:56

Autumn foliage colors a roadside near Mount Palgong in Dong-myeon, Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang, on Sept. 23, the day of the autumn equinox. [YONHAP]

Korea will see mostly cloudy skies on Tuesday, with rain starting in Jeju from the morning, according to the national weather agency.

Moist air moving in from the Pacific high-pressure system south of Japan will bring rainfall to the island, while clouds flow in nationwide along the edge of a high-pressure system moving from northeastern China toward the East Sea.

Rain will spread to the southern coast late Tuesday night.

On Wednesday, rain will begin along the west coasts of South Chungcheong and North Jeolla before expanding nationwide. A low-pressure system traveling from China’s Shandong Peninsula across the Korean Peninsula will create a corridor of moisture between high-pressure zones to the north and south, fueling heavy rainfall.

Rain will continue in Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi and northern Gangwon until early Thursday morning. Southern Gyeonggi and central Gangwon will see rain through Thursday morning, while Chungcheong, southern regions and Jeju will experience showers until Thursday night. A developing low-pressure system on the stationary front will prolong precipitation on Thursday.

Forecast rainfall from Wednesday to Thursday is 30 to 80 millimeters (1.2 to 3.1 inches) in the Five Yellow Sea islands and the southwestern Honam region encompassing Gwangju, Jeolla provinces and Jeju, with some areas exceeding 100 millimeters.

The greater Seoul area, inland and mountainous Gangwon, Chungcheong, Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang can expect 20 to 60 millimeters, with some areas reaching up to 80 millimeters. Jeju will see 10 to 60 millimeters, Daegu, North Gyeongsang and Ulleung Island and Dokdo will see 10 to 40 millimeters, and the eastern coast of Gangwon will receive 5 to 20 millimeters.

Central regions could see torrential downpours of 20 to 30 millimeters per hour on Wednesday, while Honam could face similar conditions early Thursday morning.

A person walks with an umbrella through silver grass at Seoho Kkotmoe Park in Paldal District, Suwon, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 17. [YONHAP]

Strong winds will accompany the rain, with gusts of up to 55 kilometers (34 miles) per hour in coastal South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang through Tuesday, in Jeju through Wednesday, on the west coast Wednesday and in the Gangwon mountains Wednesday to Thursday. Mountain areas could see gusts as strong as 70 kilometers per hour.

At sea, strong winds of 25 to 60 kilometers per hour and waves as high as 1.0 to 3.5 meters (3.3 to 11.5 feet) will affect the southern coast and Jeju waters from Tuesday into Wednesday. Thunder, lightning and swells are also expected along coastal areas.

Temperatures will remain near seasonal averages through Tuesday but rise slightly above average Wednesday and Thursday as moist air lingers. Highs on Tuesday will range from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius (72 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit). On Wednesday, morning lows will be 17 to 23 degrees Celsius and highs 22 to 31 degrees Celsius.

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.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]