South Korea is bracing for another bout of heavy rainfall this week, just a day after powerful downpours swept through southern portions of the country.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Monday, a narrow band of concentrated rain clouds is expected to stretch across the country from north to south between Wednesday and Thursday.
“Rain clouds resembling such a shape and pattern could bring another round of extreme, localized torrential rainfall — specifically focused on the already rain-stricken southern regions,” said KMA official Gong Sang-min at Monday’s press briefing.
Between Sunday and Monday morning, Korea’s southern region saw accumulated rainfall exceed 190 millimeters. As of 10 a.m., Muan, South Jeolla Province, had seen 289.6 millimeters of rainfall, while Hapcheon, South Gyeongsang Province, and Gwangju received 212.7 mm and 197.9 mm, respectively.
As a developing low-pressure system passes over North Korea early Wednesday morning, rain will likely first reach Seoul and surrounding regions. The atmosphere is expected to become increasingly unstable as hot and humid air from the south continues to push northward, sparking additional showers in the southern region throughout the rest of the day.
From Wednesday afternoon, rain clouds are expected to move south, with heavy rain to persist until Thursday morning.
Cooler, drier air flowing into the Korean Peninsula from the northwest is forecast to move southward, clashing with warm air flowing into the country from the south, creating unstable atmospheric conditions and ideal conditions for the formation of a long and narrow rain band.
“The cool, dry air from the north being resisted by the warm, moist air from the south can lead to the creation of strip-shaped rain bands, resulting in concentrated downpours over specific areas,” said Gong.
“If the influence of the moist, hot air from the south and the influence of the dry, cold air from the north holds similar power, such differing air conditions could clash with each other and create ideal conditions for the formation of long and narrow rain bands.”
As of Monday, 30 to 80 mm of accumulated rain was expected to fall in the Greater Seoul region, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province and the North and South Chungcheong provinces. North Jeolla Province may also see 10 to 60 mm of rain.
Though high temperatures are likely to subside after Wednesday’s heavy rain, the decrease in temperatures would only be temporary; heat wave watches, issued when apparent temperatures are expected to exceed 33 degrees Celsius, are expected to remain.
However, as cold, dry air continues to flow into the country from the north, the KMA added that tropical nights may cease from Thursday in Seoul, where 15 consecutive tropical nights were recorded from July 19 to Aug. 2.
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com
