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Bye bye blooms: Weekend weather to end cherry blossom season early

Published: 08 Apr. 2026, 17:33

People walk along the cherry blossom-lined street in Yeouido in western Seoul on April 6. [NEWS1]

Hurry along to catch the last of the season — the peak display is likely to come to an early end ahead of the weekend as heavy rain and strong winds are set to hit starting Thursday.

Rain is expected to begin in western regions of Korea on Thursday morning and gradually expand nationwide. It is forecast to taper off starting Friday morning, though it may continue into the daytime in the central regions.

“Starting Thursday, rain is expected nationwide due to the low pressure moving eastward from the Yellow Sea,” said Lee Chang-jae, an official at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), during a regular forecast briefing on Wednesday. “Particularly, heavy and intense rain accompanied by strong gusts, thunder and lightning is expected, especially over Jeju Island and along the southern coast.”

Jeju Island and southern regions are expected to see rainfall at levels warranting heavy rain advisories, as strong southerly winds bring in large amounts of moisture.

During the day on Thursday, Jeju Island is to see intense rainfall of 30 to 50 millimeters (1.18 to 1.96 inches) per hour, while coastal areas of the Jeolla region may see 20 to 30 millimeters per hour. On Thursday evening, coastal areas of South Gyeongsang are expected to receive 20 to 30 millimeters per hour, raising the possibility of heavy rain advisories.

Total precipitation could reach up to 250 millimeters in mountainous areas of Jeju and exceed 120 millimeters along the southern coast. Central regions, including Seoul, are forecast to receive relatively lower amounts of 10 to 60 millimeters of rain.

A person walks pet dogs along a cherry blossom-lined path in Suseong District, Daegu, on April 7. [NEWS1]

Areas experiencing rain are also likely to see heavy gusts, thunder and lightning.

“Very strong winds are expected, especially in Jeju, the southern coast and the western coast,” Lee said. “This could disrupt aircraft takeoffs and landings, so travelers are advised to check flight operations in advance.”

With rain and strong winds expected, cherry blossom season is likely to end sooner than usual nationwide. In southern regions, most of the remaining blossoms are expected to fall.

“As some time has already passed since full bloom in the southern regions, petals are highly likely to fall even with light winds,” said Woo Jin-kyu, a KMA official.

People walk along a cherry blossom-lined road in Yeouido, western Seoul, on April 6 as spring rain falls. [NEWS1]

Cool weather is also expected to continue during the rainfall. In Seoul, Thursday morning is forecast to be 6 degrees Celsius (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) with the daytime high reaching only 11 degrees Celsius.

After the rain stops on Friday, temperatures are expected to rise sharply and return to seasonal norms, with daytime highs over the weekend forecast to be more than 3 degrees Celsius higher than average. In Seoul, Sunday’s daytime high is expected to reach 24 degrees Celsius.

However, Lee cautioned that “inland areas may see large temperature differences between day and night due to radiative cooling," urging people to take extra care of their health.

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 CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]