"Is It Real to Have Ice Chunks in May?"... Hailstorm Pours Down in Songpa-gu

On the 22nd, hail about 1 cm in size fell along with rain in the Songpa-gu area of Seoul, causing commuters on their way home to be surprised or take cover.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced that around 7:15 p.m. that day, hail about 1 cm in diameter poured down in Songpa-gu, Seoul, and nearby areas. At the time, strong winds and rain accompanied by thunder and lightning were falling in Songpa-gu, and suddenly hail also fell. The hail that fell that day was large in chunks, creating loud noises as it hit roads and vehicles. Startled citizens stopped in their tracks and briefly took cover from the hail.

On the evening of the 22nd at 7 PM, hailstones measuring 1 cm in diameter fell in the Songpa-gu area of Seoul. [Image source=Social Networking Service (SNS) capture]

A KMA official explained, "The hail fell due to atmospheric instability caused by cold air formed at dawn meeting the warm air heated during the day," adding, "There is also a possibility of hail in Bundang, Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, and Yangpyeong-gun areas."

On the same day, posts containing photos and videos of hail that fell around Songpa-gu, including Seokchon Lake, were continuously uploaded on social networking services (SNS). Netizens who witnessed the hail shared their experiences, saying, "Is it real that ice chunks fell in May?", "The ice chunks were so big that I felt pain every time they hit my body," and "The sound of hail falling was incredibly loud," describing the situation at the time.

Meanwhile, the KMA stated, "Until midnight that night, there will be showers accompanied by thunder and lightning and gusty winds in inland Seoul and Gyeonggi, Gangwon Province, northern Chungbuk, eastern Jeonbuk, and inland Gyeongbuk," and added, "Some areas may experience sleet hail, so please pay special attention to facility management and safety accidents."