Rain in the Central Region Throughout the Week... Up to 150mm Expected on the 27th-28th

Northern Gyeonggi, Northern Gangwon Inland and Mountain Areas Over 150mm
50~100mm in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, Gangwon, and Southern Jeju Mountain Areas
Showers of 10~60mm in the Southern Regions

On the 6th, citizens are walking with umbrellas near Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, where rain accompanied by strong winds is falling. Photo by Jang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Heavy monsoon rains will fall throughout the central region next week. Starting Monday the 27th, about 150mm of heavy rain is expected in the central region, while the southern region will experience showers.

On the 26th, the Korea Meteorological Administration held an unscheduled briefing and announced that from the 27th to the 28th, hot and humid air will flow in, bringing over 150mm of rain to northern Gyeonggi and the inland mountainous areas of Gangwon, 50 to 100mm to the Seoul metropolitan area, inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, and southern and mountainous areas of Jeju, 20 to 60mm to the Chungcheong region and northern Gyeongbuk, 10 to 60mm to the southern region, and over 100mm near Jirisan.

Due to the heavy rain on the 27th and 28th, a heavy rain advisory is expected to be issued for the central region. On the 27th, strong southerly winds will bring hot and humid air to the southern region causing rain, and on the 28th, two low-pressure systems and a stationary front will affect the central region, resulting in heavy rainfall.

On the 27th, precipitation will be concentrated mainly in the northern and southern areas. Some inland areas may experience light or no rain, causing significant regional differences in rainfall amounts. On the 28th, showers of about 5 to 40mm will mainly fall in the southern inland areas.

The form of rainfall will vary by region. Woo Jin-gyu, a forecaster and analyst at the Korea Meteorological Administration, explained, "In the central region, moisture is intensified by the low-pressure system and atmospheric instability occurs due to dry air, resulting in heavy rain. In the southern region, located at the edge of the North Pacific High, precipitation bands develop due to moisture, causing showers."

In the middle of the week, concentrated heavy rain is expected mainly in the central region. From the 29th to the 1st, the stationary front will become active, bringing heavy rain during nighttime. This is due to dry air moving south from the north and moisture associated with the North Pacific High moving northward, strengthening the stationary front. Meanwhile, in the southern region, hot and humid air will cause heatwaves and tropical nights, with localized showers expected.

Forecaster Woo emphasized, "Due to the narrow stationary front running north to south, heavy rain will fall, and the slow movement of the front will significantly increase rainfall amounts. Strong southwesterly winds will activate rain clouds at night, so thorough preparation for nighttime heavy rain is necessary."

Especially between the 29th and July 1st, the South Pacific High and low-pressure systems will maintain a narrow gap, so the areas receiving rain may vary depending on their movement paths. Woo explained, "While heavy rain is expected to concentrate in the central region, it could shift southward or lean toward northern Gyeonggi."

In areas experiencing rain from the 27th to the 1st, very heavy rain of 30 to 50mm or more per hour is expected, so thorough preparation against rain damage is necessary.

From the 2nd of next month onward, the stationary front is expected to move northward, and there is a possibility that the North Pacific High will temporarily dominate Korea. Rain may fall due to a tropical depression moving northward from the southern region, making the situation highly variable. Currently, the medium-term forecast does not show precipitation after the 2nd, but changes in the forecast cannot be ruled out. It is difficult to predict the position of the stationary front because it is uncertain whether the North Pacific High will expand.

Forecaster Woo explained, "The possibility of expansion or strengthening of the North Pacific High is highly uncertain. Please understand that the forecast of 'cloudy' with a high chance of precipitation reflects the difficulty in predicting rainfall rather than an absence of rain."