Cars drive through heavy rain on Jeju Island on Monday, when a heavy rain watch was issued across the island. (Yonhap)
Cars drive through heavy rain on Jeju Island on Monday, when a heavy rain watch was issued across the island. (Yonhap)

Up to 150 millimeters of rain is forecast for the Greater Seoul region, which includes Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as parts of central South Korea from Wednesday through Thursday, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday.

According to the KMA, the stationary front currently over the southern region will shift northward starting Wednesday morning, bringing concentrated showers to Seoul and northern parts of Gyeonggi Province that afternoon.

From Wednesday night, the rain clouds will expand towards Greater Seoul, bringing hourly rainfall of 30 to 50 millimeters until Thursday morning.

Clouds forecast to bring intense downpours will likely form when hot, moisture-laden air from the south meets cooler, drier air descending from the north.

The heaviest showers are expected to occur from Wednesday afternoon onward. However, some regions may see early bursts of heavy rain starting Wednesday morning as warm, humid southwesterly winds intensify ahead of the approaching low-pressure system.

Wednesday and Thursday's rainfall is projected to fall within the 50 mm to 120 mm range in Seoul and southern parts of Gyeonggi Province, while northern parts of Gyeonggi Province and Incheon may see over 150 mm.

Northern areas of South Chungcheong Province, as well as Gangwon Province, can expect accumulated rainfall to exceed 100 mm over the two days.

The KMA added that the rain will taper off from Friday morning, when the Korean Peninsula falls under the influence of a North Pacific high-pressure system.

Parts of Greater Seoul and Gangwon Province can expect to see rainfall until Friday morning.

As the North Pacific high-pressure system and the Tibetan high-pressure system begin to move over the Korean Peninsula throughout the day, heat wave advisories will be issued nationwide.

The KMA added that high apparent temperatures may be observed from Friday, due to high temperatures driven by the North Pacific high-pressure system, as well as high humidity levels influenced by the two days of heavy rain.


lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com