Monsoon season arrives in S. Korea with heavy rain, strong winds

The monsoon season has officially begun across South Korea, with some areas even seeing rainfall levels of over 30 millimeters per hour.

No casualties have been reported, despite some reports of damage.

Our Park Kun-woo has the details.

Monsoon season's arrived several days earlier than last year, as heavy rain and strong winds swept across the country on Friday.

Downpours of over 30 millimeters per hour lashed the greater capital area and Gangwon-do Province and are forecast to continue overnight due to a stationary front.

With that front heading south, heavy rain steadily expanded into the central and southern regions throughout the evening.

This has led to numerous damage reports nationwide, including flooded areas and fallen trees.

But with the shifting climate, Korea's monsoon season has become harder to predict, as shown by some changing patterns.

"Monsoon rains used to fall steadily over time, but in recent years, short bursts of heavy rain followed by heat have become more common."

And, with heavy rain continuing overnight, the agency has placed extra emphasis on safety.

"It's important to stay alert and pay attention to overnight weather updates -a time when responses tend to be lacking. Checking drain gutters beforehand will be needed. Emergency alerts may be issued during the night, so please stay alert."

The Interior Ministry also activated Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters as of 2:0 PM.

Accordingly, the headquarters has stepped up monitoring of vulnerable areas and urged swift access control when there's any sign of danger.

According to the weather agency's forecast, heavy rain is expected to continue over the weekend, with some areas in the southern region seeing up to 180 millimeters of rain.

The agency also said the stationary front is predicted to become more active and move northward from the 27th, potentially affecting the entire country.

Park Kun-woo, Arirang News.