Foreign tourists walk with umbrellas near the Mangbaedan altar at Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, as a heavy rain advisory was in effect. [Yonhap]
Foreign tourists walk with umbrellas near the Mangbaedan altar at Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, as a heavy rain advisory was in effect. [Yonhap]

Strong rain of 20 to 30 millimeters per hour is forecast for central regions in the early hours of Wednesday.

Rain is expected across most of the country due to a stationary front, though many areas will see lulls at various times. Between dawn and morning, southern Gyeonggi Province, southern inland Gangwon Province, northern South Chungcheong Province and northern North Chungcheong Province could receive 20 to 30 millimeters per hour.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, additional rainfall expected through Wednesday breaks down as follows: the Greater Seoul area, inland and mountainous Gangwon Province, the Chungcheong provinces, central and northern inland North Gyeongsang Province — 20 to 60 millimeters, with more than 80 millimeters possible in southern Gyeonggi Province, southern inland Gangwon Province, northern South Chungcheong Province and northern North Chungcheong Province; northwestern North Jeolla Province — 10 to 60 millimeters; North Jeolla Province, Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province and western inland South Gyeongsang Province — 5 to 40 millimeters; the Gangwon east coast, Gwangju and South Jeolla Province — 5 to 30 millimeters; the five West Sea islands — 5 to 20 millimeters; and Jeju — around 5 millimeters.

Heavy rain is also falling in North Korea, causing water levels to rise sharply in rivers shared by the two Koreas, including the Imjin River, the Hantan River and the North Han River. North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam upstream on the Imjin River, sending the water level at Pilseungyo — the northernmost monitoring point on the South Korean side — from 0.93 meters at midnight Tuesday to 9.96 meters by 4:40 p.m., far exceeding the 7.50-meter threshold that triggers a border-area crisis response alert.

Rain is expected to continue through Saturday, mainly in central regions. On Thursday, rain will persist in central regions and Jeju, with showers also developing between the Honam region and North Gyeongsang Province in the afternoon and evening. Friday will bring rain to central regions and northern inland North Gyeongsang Province, and Saturday will see continued precipitation in central regions.

On Wednesday, the morning low is forecast at 23 to 26 degrees Celsius nationwide, with afternoon highs of 29 to 37 degrees. The heat index is expected to reach around 31 degrees in most areas. In regions under heat advisories — including the Gangwon east coast, the Chungcheong provinces, southern regions and Jeju — it could climb to around 33 degrees. The maximum heat index along the southern Gangwon east coast, parts of the Honam region, the Yeongnam region and Jeju is expected to approach 35 degrees.

Forecast lows and highs for major cities on Wednesday are: Seoul, 24 and 30 degrees; Incheon, 24 and 29 degrees; Daejeon, 24 and 32 degrees; Gwangju, 26 and 33 degrees; Daegu, 26 and 35 degrees; Ulsan, 26 and 34 degrees; and Busan, 26 and 32 degrees.


yeongdai@heraldcorp.com