Wearing raincoats and sharing an umbrella, two tourists walk along a trail on Songaksan in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Wearing raincoats and sharing an umbrella, two tourists walk along a trail on Songaksan in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Visitors holding umbrellas stroll through a hydrangea garden at Cafe Manorblanc in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Visitors holding umbrellas stroll through a hydrangea garden at Cafe Manorblanc in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Jeju Island saw the onset of this year’s monsoon season on Thursday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain clouds formed in the seas south of Jeju Island moved northeastward at 50 kilometers per hour early in the morning, bringing light rainfall of around 1 millimeter per hour to the island.

Monsoon season typically begins on Jeju around June 19, but this year’s rains arrived nearly a week earlier. It marks the third earliest onset of monsoon season since 1973, following the early arrivals on June 10 in 2011 and 2020.

Farmers harvest radishes in a field in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Farmers harvest radishes in a field in Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo, Jeju Island, Wednesday. (Yonhap)

With tropical moisture enhancing cloud development, rain is expected to spread nationwide, reaching the central and southern regions Thursday before extending to the entire country by Friday.

Heavy rainfall of 20 to 40 millimeters per hour is forecast to pound Jeju starting Thursday night, with similarly strong showers expected along the southern coast and around Jirisan early Friday, reaching up to 30 millimeters per hour.

Central regions, including Seoul, are forecast to see 5 to 20 millimeters of rain Friday, with most precipitation likely to ease by the evening.

Humid summer heat is set to linger, with temperatures in Seoul and inland areas hovering around 30 degrees Celsius until the weekend.

As the monsoon season nears, shoppers in Seoul are heading to traditional markets and shopping centers to pick up rainy season essentials, including rain boots, umbrellas and raincoats.

Umbrellas are on display at a large supermarket in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Umbrellas are on display at a large supermarket in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Children’s rain boots are stacked on shelves at a shopping mall in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)
Children’s rain boots are stacked on shelves at a shopping mall in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

cjh@heraldcorp.com