Cars run on a rain-soaked expressway in Boseong, southwestern South Korea, on Monday, with an electronic signage publicizing a heavy rain advisory. (Yonhap)
Southern South Korean regions will be hit with heavy rains early this week, while light rain is forecast for the greater Seoul area, the state weather agency said Monday.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that up to 150 millimeters of rain are expected for the southern provinces of Jeolla and Gyeongsang between late Monday and early Tuesday.
In particular, some southern areas, including southern North Jeolla Province, coastal areas of South Jeolla and South Gyeongsang provinces and Mount Jiri, are likely to be pounded by more than 200 mm of rain until early Tuesday morning, the KMA said, adding precipitation on the southern resort island of Jeju will reach less than 20 mm.
This summer's rainy season began across the country over the weekend.
The KMA said the southern regions may again receive heavy rainfall Wednesday morning after a lull on Tuesday afternoon due to the southerly movement of a stationary front.
On the other hand, Seoul and surrounding areas are expected to receive a relatively small amount of rain early this week, the KMA said.
The KMA said this week's precipitation will vary sharply depending on regions, as the rain cloud belt is long from east to west and narrow from north to south. Thus, more than 300 mm of rain cannot be ruled out in some southern areas, it noted.
The KMA already issued heavy rain warnings for some southwestern areas, including Iksan, Gunsan, Heuksan Island and Hongdo Island, and heavy rain advisories for South Chungcheong, North Jeolla and South Jeolla provinces and Gwangju.
Heavy rain alerts are also poised to take effect for North Chungcheong, South Gyeongsang and North Gyeongsang provinces and Busan, Daegu and Daejeon later in the day or early Tuesday. (Yonhap)
