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Light rain, cooler temperatures expected during May holiday stretch

Published: 30 Apr. 2026, 17:12

CHO YONG-JUN
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A kid plays at the water fountain in Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on April 30. [NEWS1]

Rain is expected on two days of the early May holiday stretch, but Children's Day on Tuesday will be clear and warm across the country.

Showers are forecast to begin in southern regions in the early hours of Friday — Labor Day — starting late Thursday afternoon and continuing through the predawn hours, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Thursday.

Rainfall amounts are expected to be modest: less than 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) on Jeju's mountain areas, around 5 millimeters in southern North Chungcheong, eastern North Jeolla and eastern South Jeolla, 5 to 10 millimeters in Busan, Ulsan, South Gyeongsang, Daegu and North Gyeongsang, and 10 to 30 millimeters on Ulleungdo and Dokdo. Skies are expected to gradually clear from the west through the afternoon.

The rain is caused by a weather phenomenon known as a saddle point, or col, in which a low-pressure and a high-pressure system cross diagonally, forming a gentle pressure trough.

It produces weaker updrafts and lighter rainfall than a typical pressure trough, which forms a V- or U-shaped pattern between two high-pressure systems.

"High and low-pressure systems are currently moving smoothly from west to east around the Korean Peninsula, causing the weather to shift in various ways," a forecaster at the KMA said Thursday.

People walk at the Gwanghuamun Square in central Seoul on April 30. [NEWS1]

Rain will fall nationwide on Sunday, but for different reasons.

A moisture-laden low-pressure system moving up from the south will interact with a pressure trough from the north, bringing more rainfall than on Friday.

Daytime high temperatures are expected to drop to between 16 and 19 degrees Celsius (61 to 66 degrees Fahrenheit) — a sharp contrast to the highs of 18 to 25 degrees Celsius expected on Friday and 20 to 27 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

"There is high variability in precipitation depending on how the pressure system develops," a KMA forecast analyst said.

Children's Day on Tuesday will see a recovery to clear, warm conditions. A passing high-pressure system will keep winds light, making it well-suited for outdoor activities.

"On clear days, temperatures rise sharply during the day and drop considerably at night, so people should take care to guard against respiratory illness," the analyst said.

The risk of wildfires will remain a concern through Saturday. Dry weather advisories are currently in effect for inland areas of Chungcheong and North Gyeongsang, and the dry conditions in Chungcheong are expected to persist until rain arrives on Sunday.

People relax along the Cheonggyecheon Stream in central Seoul on April 29. [NEWS1]

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 HA JEONG-WON [[email protected]]