People walk through heavy rain at the Gwanghwamun intersection in Jongno District, central Seoul, on July 14.NEWS1
More than 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of torrential monsoon rain is forecast to drench central Korea over the weekend, with analysts warning that the rainfall could become so intense that emergency cell phone alerts for extreme downpours may be issued early on Saturday.
“From early Saturday through Sunday, a mesoscale low-pressure system is expected to develop along the stationary front, bringing very heavy rain and strong winds, thunder and lightning,” Lee Gwang-yeon, a forecast analyst at the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), said during a weather briefing on Friday.
The most dangerous period is expected to be early to later morning on Saturday, when precipitation rates of 50 to 80 millimeters per hour are forecast across central Korea, including Seoul.
Conditions could become severe enough to trigger emergency disaster text alerts in some regions.
In the Seoul metropolitan area, heavy rain is expected to continue through late Saturday night. Some locations could receive more than 300 millimeters of accumulated rainfall over Saturday and Sunday.
“Many people will likely head outdoors to valleys, rivers and other recreational areas, as the Constitution Day holiday coincides with the weekend,” KMA spokesperson Woo Jin-kyu said.
“When extremely heavy amounts of rain fall within a short period, water levels in valleys can rise quickly, creating situations that are difficult to respond to. So people should take extreme caution.”
People walk with umbrellas through heavy monsoon rain in Daegu on July 17.YONHAP
As the stationary front gradually shifts southward, the rain band is also expected to move south on Sunday. Southern regions are forecast to experience the heaviest rainfall from Saturday night through Sunday morning.
The KMA said that the stationary front is likely to remain active after Monday. Depending on the front’s position, some areas could receive additional heavy rainfall.
Another round of monsoon rain is expected nationwide beginning on Thursday as a low-pressure system develops along the front.
“The ground has already been weakened by widespread rainfall since the monsoon season began in late June,” the KMA said. “People should remain alert for landslides, soil runoff and rockfalls and avoid going on flooded roads or small bridges.”
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.
