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Korea sees subtropical weather
Past month of rainfall equals entire yearly average
By Lee Hyo-sik
The torrential rain that has soaked the country’s central regions over the past month are the equivalent to an average annual rainfall according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Thursday. Tragic landslides and flooding causing human casualties and property damage have resulted.
A growing number of rainy days in spring and summer are also fueling a debate on whether the four seasons here should be reclassified into two — rainy and dry seasons, like in Thailand and other subtropical countries.
The weather agency said 1,259.5 millimeters of rain fell in Seoul from June 22 to July 27, accounting for 86 percent of an annual average precipitation of 1,450 millimeters during the past 30 years.
In Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi Province, the cumulative rainfall amounted to 1,252.8 millimeters, 84.7 percent of the annual average.
The situation is the same for other cities in the central region.
As more rain is forecast to come down in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces through Friday, the entire annual precipitation will likely fall in little over one month.
“This year’s seasonal rain front brought heavier rainfalls than previously expected to the nation’s central regions. As soon as the rainy season was declared over, a typhoon approached the Korean Peninsula and brought significant rainfall,” a KMA official said.
The heavy downpour that began Tuesday afternoon has worsened the situation, the official said, adding that the cumulative rainfall since January has exceeded the average annual precipitation.
Some private weather experts suggested that Korea’s seasons should be divided into two, rainy (April to September) and dry (October to March) seasons, rather than the current four, as the weather here has become more like that of subtropical countries.
But the weather agency dismissed such a proposal, saying that this year’s weather phenomenon is quite unusual.
“If we look at this year’s weather pattern, we could say Korea has become a subtropical country. But it remains to be seen whether the weather will continue to be like it was this year from now on. I think the bigger problem is that the intensity of rainfall has become stronger, causing serious damage to homes, farmlands and other properties,” the official said.