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Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Monsoon season arrives
The summer monsoon season has begun earlier than usual in Korea, with heavy showers forecast to drench much of the country. Commuters were seen carrying umbrellas and wearing rain boots on their way to work Friday, bracing for the monsoon rain. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heavy rain of up to 50 millimeters per hour will hit the greater Seoul area and northern parts of Gangwon Province in the afternoon. Other areas, including southern Gangwon, North Jeolla and South Chungcheong provinces, are expected to see rainfall Friday evening. The weather agency issued a heavy rain advisory at 6 a.m. for all of Seoul, along with Hwacheon and Cheorwon in Gangwon Province; Incheon and northern Gyeonggi Province were placed under a heavy rain warning. A heavy rain advisory is issued when rainfall is expected to exceed 60 mm in three hours or 110 mm in 12 hours, while a warning applies when the amount exceeds 90 millimeters in three hours or 180 millimeters in 12 hours. Through Saturday, more than 150 mm of rain is expected to fall in the capital region, as well as in parts of Gangwon Province, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon. Meanwhile, southern Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju are likely to see over 120 mm during that time. Showers are expected to ease by Friday afternoon, with clearer skies and warmer temperatures forecast for the capital region. Daytime highs are projected to range from 23 to 29 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 24 to 30 degrees Celsius on Sunday. 'Please avoid rivers and low-lying areas and limit outdoor activities. If strong winds and lightning occur, it's also important to inspect electrical systems and outdoor facilities," said Kong Sang-min, a forecast analyst at the KMA.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Heavy monsoon rain hits most regions; central regions to receive over 150 mm
Heavy downpours are forecast to hit most of South Korea on Friday, including the central and southern regions and Jeju Island, marking the beginning of the year's monsoon season, the weather agency said. The rain will spread to North Gyeongsang and South Gyeongsang provinces during the day, while the southern regions and Jeju may see the downpours ease throughout the day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. The greater Seoul area and northern parts of Gangwon Province will receive heavy downpours of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour in the afternoon, whereas the rain will start falling at night for other parts of the province, as well as North Jeolla and South Chungcheong provinces. The weather agency forecasted over 150 millimeters of rain to fall until Saturday in the greater Seoul area, parts of Gangwon Province, North Jeolla Province, South Chungcheong Province and Daejeon. Other regions, including southern Gyeonggi Province, North Chungcheong Province, South Jeolla Province and Gwangju, are anticipating more than 120 millimeters of rain during the same period. The daily highs are expected to range between 23 to 31 Celsius, with the heavy downpours bringing down temperatures slightly below the average. (Yonhap)
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Monsoon season to begin in central, southern regions from Friday
Following the beginning of this year's monsoon season in Jeju Island on June 12, central and southern parts of South Korea are also expected to enter the rainy season from Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Starting late Thursday afternoon, a stationary front is forecast to move northward from the southeast, as the North Pacific high-pressure system expands and pushes hot, humid air from southern China into the Korean Peninsula. Central areas — consisting of the Greater Seoul region, Gangwon Province and the North and South Chungcheong provinces — as well as North Jeolla Province, can expect to see rain from late Thursday afternoon due to a warm front forming ahead of a low-pressure system approaching from the west. Nationwide rainfall will follow Friday and Saturday as the stationary front meets the expanding low-pressure system. The KMA anticipates Friday's rainfall to begin the monsoon season in the central and southern parts of Korea, though further meteorological analysis is still needed for confirmation. If the monsoon season begins nationwide Friday, according to the KMA's weather predictions, it would be five days earlier than in previous years in the central region and three days earlier in the south. Between 1991 and 2020, the average monsoon season starting dates were June 25 for the central region and June 23 for the southern region. However, the KMA warned that rain clouds forming along the stationary front will likely be long but narrow. This means that rainfall distribution may be highly uneven, with some areas seeing heavy downpours accompanied by thunder and lightning while others receive drizzles. Due to the development of multiple meso-scale low-pressure systems, the KMA stated that some areas could experience rainfall intense enough for heavy rain warnings to be issued. A heavy rain warning is issued in Korea when more than 90 millimeters of rain is expected to fall in three hours or over 180 mm in 12 hours. Korea frequently saw the development of these mesoscale low-pressure systems during its monsoon season in 2024, contributing to highly variable rainfall patterns and a sharp drop in forecast accuracy. A total of 16 instances of intense rainfall, exceeding 100 mm per hour, were recorded. From June 22 to June 24, the KMA added that concentrated rainfall will fall again on Jeju Island, as the stationary front is expected to remain over the island and the southern coast. The front may then move again northward on June 25, bringing more rain to the rest of the country — though this is subject to change. As the monsoon season sets in, average nationwide temperatures are expected to drop from Friday. In Seoul, high temperatures are expected to be 1 to 2 degrees Celsius lower or similar to average temperatures from previous years from Friday. However, humidity levels are still anticipated to rise, as large volumes of moisture remain stagnant in the atmosphere, making temperatures feel higher.
Korea Herald
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Early monsoon showers Jeju Island
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. 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.
Straits Times
12-06-2025
- Climate
- Straits Times
Monsoon season to start early on Jeju Island from June 12
This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. ST PHOTO: ALBERT WAI JEJU - Jeju Island is expected to witness the start of this year's monsoon season on June 12 , with the rain expanding northward until June 14 , according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on June 11 . On the morning of June 12 , rain is expected to fall on Jeju Island due to a stationary front situated south of the region. According to the KMA, the front formed under the influence of Typhoon Utip, the first typhoon of the summer, as it moved northward along the western coast of the Philippines toward southern parts of China. The state weather agency expects the North Pacific high-pressure system to expand westward, pushing the stationary front northward to trigger Jeju Island's first monsoonal rains of the season. This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. If weather conditions persist, this year's monsoonal rains will come a week earlier than usual and would mark the third-earliest monsoon season on record, trailing only 2020 and 2011's June 10 and matching 1998's June 12. On June 12 , the stationary front is expected to move eastward, while hot and humid air from the east of the Philippines will flow into the Korean Peninsula along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system. This will bring heavy rains of up to 60mm to Jeju Island, and up to 40 mm of rain to South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province. Rain clouds will also expand toward North Jeolla Province and southern parts of North Gyeongsang Province by late morning, bringing close to 5 to 20 mm of rain. By the afternoon, North Chungcheong Province as well as northern parts of North Gyeongsang Province can also expect to see rain, ranging between 5 and 10 mm. The KMA added that rain clouds will spread to most regions nationwide, including the Greater Seoul region and Gangwon Province, by June 13 , before clearing up later that night. Despite widespread rainfall, KMA meteorologist Gong Sang-min added that this week's rain is unlikely to mark the official start of monsoon season for other parts of Korea aside from Jeju Island. This is because rain must be triggered by a stationary front to be considered monsoonal rain, not simply from other systems. Though subject to change, heavy rainfall is also expected to fall nationwide from June 15 to June 16 , due to a clash between humid air flowing in from the south and a cold air mass moving down from the north. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
