Heavy rain battered South Korea on Sunday, leaving at least two dead and one missing. Several towns in Gyeonggi and Chungcheong provinces were waterlogged and road and train traffic was disrupted.

Hardest hit were Cheongju in North Chungcheong Province, which received 290 millimeters of rain since midnight Saturday till Sunday afternoon. Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province also reported heavy damage, having received 232 mm of rain. 

Two died in landslides in Cheongju, and one man is missing in Boeun, also in North Chungcheong Province, officials said. 

Some 30 residents were evacuated as the water level in a stream flooded in Cheongju. Vehicles parked on the underground parking lots were submerged, schools and residential buildings in lower-laying areas were also affected.

The Korea Meteorological Agency lifted heavy rain alerts issued for Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang Province as of 2 p.m. Sunday, as downpours subsided.

The Chungbuk Fire Service Headquarters said it received over 500 damage reports from Sunday 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. Rescue team was dispatched to 117 sites and saved 166 people as of Sunday afternoon, officials said.

In Gyeonggi Province, an average of 107.8 mm of rain poured down from Friday 1 p.m. to Sunday 7 a.m., according to the Gyeonggi Disaster and Safety Headquarters.

Uiwang saw the most rain with 185.5 mm over the period, with Gwangju, Suwon and Ansan with 150-160 mm of rain.

Some 21 house buildings were waterlogged in Suwon, Ansan and other parts in Gyeonggi Province but caused no casualties, the official said.

On early Sunday morning, 200 households in Bono-dong in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province experienced blackout due to thunder stroke. The power was recovered 1.5 hours later at around 6:30 a.m.

Heavy rain also halted the train operation on North Chungcheong line, which runs from Jochiwon to Cheongju to Bongyang, as tracks were waterlogged. The service resumed to operate from 3:15 p.m., the train operator Korail said.

Weather forecasters encouraged people to be aware of accidents amid torrential rains accompanied by thunder.

At least 25-50 mm of rain is forecast until early Monday and the daytime high will soar to 29 degrees Celsius in Seoul, 33 degrees in Gwangju and 34 degrees in Daegu after rain, the KMA said.

As of Sunday 5 p.m., a heat wave warning was issued in Busan, Jeju Island and parts in Gyeongsang, South Jeolla and Gangwon provinces.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)