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Monthlong deluge not coming in June, KMA reassures in face of social media rumors

Published: 16 Apr. 2026, 16:47 Updated: 16 Apr. 2026, 16:49

People walk on a crosswalk in rain in western Seoul in July 2025. [YONHAP]

The state weather agency on Tuesday dismissed social media rumors predicting a monthlong deluge in June, warning the public against believing misleading unofficial forecasts online.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said online posts predicting the massive downpour were not issued by the agency and asked people to be cautious about unverified reports.

Social media has amplified online posts predicting a “monthlong downpour” or an "unprecedented monsoon" in June, with some posts even detailing specific monsoon periods per region, lending them an air of credibility.

However, the posts are misleading as they simply compiled statistical averages of monsoon periods from 1991 to 2020 and presented them as if they were this year’s forecast.

Some posts even used exaggerated expressions suggesting that rain would fall for an entire month, even though rain does not fall every day, even during the monsoon season.

Unfounded posts claiming to be bona fide monsoon forecasts surface every year, causing confusion among internet users.

The KMA stressed that the agency no longer officially predicts the timing of the upcoming monsoon season, as climate change has led to significant fluctuations in precipitation patterns. The agency discontinued monsoon forecasts in 2009.

Weather agencies in neighboring nations, such as Japan and China, also do not make definitive projections regarding their monsoon seasons.

People hold umbrella amid heavy downpour in Busan in April. [NEWS1]

A monsoon occurs when a stationary front is formed due to the northward advancement of the North Pacific high-pressure system. It generally develops after warm, humid air collides with cooler, drier air from the north, leading to rainfall.

However, actual precipitation varies over time and across regions, occurring intermittently.

“The start and end of the monsoon are determined and announced after the summer based on analysis,” the KMA said. “Information that specifies the exact timing or intensity of rainfall this early should be scrutinized closely.”

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 BAE JAE-SUNG [[email protected]]