"Please Let the Weather Forecast Be Wrong..." Staring at the Sky Amid the Spreading Wildfires

5 to 10 mm of Rain Expected Tomorrow in Daegu and Gyeongbuk
Insufficient to Lift the Dry Weather Advisory

As the wildfire in Gyeongbuk continues to spread for the fifth day, the weather has emerged as a major variable. Rain is forecasted for the 27th. However, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) predicts that it will not be enough to lift the dry weather advisory. What made this wildfire a 'monster' was the typhoon-level strong winds. The problem is that as the wind intensifies, the speed of wildfire suppression cannot keep up with the rate of spread caused by the wind. In the face of 'nature,' 'humans' are powerless. It is impossible not to hear the words, "I have never wished so desperately for a weather forecast to be wrong as this time."

A wildfire is spreading to the area around Yeongdeok-eup, Yeongdeok-gun, Gyeongbuk on the 25th. Yonhap News

According to the KMA's weather forecast on the 26th, rain is expected to fall in the wildfire-affected areas of Daegu and Gyeongbuk from the morning to the afternoon of the 27th. However, the expected rainfall is predicted to be only 5 to 10 mm, mainly in the inland areas of Gyeongbuk. The forecasted rainfall in Uiseong, which suffered the most damage, is expected to be less than 5 mm. Experts analyze that this amount of rain can only prevent embers from flying into the sky and spreading to surrounding areas.

It means the effect on preventing wildfire spread is limited. Previously, the large wildfires in Uljin, Gyeongbuk, and Samcheok, Gangwon, recorded in March 2022, were finally extinguished when rain fell on the last day. In Uiseong, a south-southwest wind blowing at a speed of 5.2 m/s caused the wildfire to spread significantly. At the early stage of the wildfire, a strong wind with a gust speed of 15 m/s caused the so-called spot fire phenomenon, where embers are carried by the wind. When sparks meet updrafts and strong winds, they can fly up to about 2 km. However, from the afternoon of the 26th, typhoon-level strong winds with gust speeds around 20 m/s are forecasted to blow in the Gyeongbuk region.