Thunder and lightning accompanied by a downpour around 9 PM the previous day for about 5 minutes
due to unstable atmospheric pressure
On the night of the 6th, large hail accompanied by thunder and lightning poured down in some areas of Busan.
According to the Busan Regional Meteorological Administration, around 9 p.m. that day, hail with a diameter of 0.5 cm or more fell for about five minutes in Haeundae-gu, Nam-gu, and Sasang-gu.
The sudden "hailstorm" is presumed to have occurred due to unstable atmospheric conditions. A meteorological official explained, "As a pressure trough passed, there was a large temperature difference between the upper and lower layers, causing the atmosphere to become unstable. Hail usually melts into rain as it passes through clouds, but this time it fell in a frozen state."
According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, as of 9:50 p.m. that day, no significant hail-related damage had been reported.
On social networking services (SNS) and online communities that day, many photos of the streets of Busan after the hailstorm were posted. Citizens also shared their experiences. Responses included, "The size of the hail is unbelievable. It could have been a disaster," "There was thunder and lightning as well," "It sounded like someone was throwing stones at the window," and "This is the first time hail has fallen since I have lived in Busan."
In Haeundae Centum City, heavy rain fell along with hail, and some roads in Yeonje-gu turned white as if covered with snow.
The Meteorological Administration forecasted that 1 mm of rain would fall in the Busan area by midnight that day. They also warned that frozen hail from overnight could create icy roads on the morning of the 7th, urging caution when driving.
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