KMA: Heavy Monsoon Rainfall to Return Thurs. Afternoon

The capital area and the central Chungcheong region are forecast to be struck by a heavy monsoon rainfall overnight, with precipitation expected to start Thursday afternoon.

The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) said precipitation of up to 50 millimeters per hour are projected for the Chungcheong and North Jeolla regions between late Thursday and Friday morning, around 30 millimeters per hour for the capital area and 20 millimeters per hour in the eastern Gangwon Province.

Through Friday, the KMA forecast accumulation of up to over 150 millimeters in Chungcheong, over 120 millimeters in North Jeolla, and over 100 millimeters in the capital region and Gangwon.

While the southeastern Gyeongsang and southwestern South Jeolla regions are expected to see rain from late Thursday, up to 30 millimeters per hour are in the forecast for the regions, and accumulation up to 80 millimeters.

The weather agency said the monsoon rain will likely return on the weekend nationwide, accompanied by strong winds with instantaneous wind speed of up to over 70 kilometers per hour.

Meanwhile, heat wave alerts have been issued for the southernmost island of Jeju and areas along the southern coast, with sensible temperatures expected to rise to around 33 degrees Celsius.