Seoul hit by torrential rain; more heavy rain set to hit Jeju Friday

People walk with umbrellas in the Namdaemun Market in central Seoul, Thursday, as the capital experienced 30 to 50 millimeters of rain per hour. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

First fatality from heavy rain reported in Hampyeong

By Jun Ji-hye

Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and other regions in the central parts of the nation were hit by torrential rain, Thursday.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued a heavy rain watch for Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province as well as North and South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces, with 30 to 50 millimeters of rain per hour soaking the regions throughout the day.

A heavy rain warning was issued for Chuncheon in Gangwon Province as the city experienced rainfall of 60 millimeters per hour.

A foreign visitor pushes suitcases down Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul during a downpour, Thursday. Seoul saw between 30 to 50 millimeters of rain per hour, prompting weather authorities to issue a heavy rain advisory for the capital. Yonhap

Gyeonggi Province authorities in charge of stream, mountain and agricultural administration initiated emergency work contingencies, beginning from 7:30 a.m. to monitor weather situations in the interest of public safety.

“Preemptive management is important to prevent loss of human life,” Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon said. “In particular, officials should take extra care to monitor underground housing or parking lots and for the disabled and elderly citizens living alone.”

Weather warnings are expected to be expanded to other regions, as the rain will affect the southern region until Friday.

Officials in Gwangju work to restore a facility damaged from heavy rain at a park in the city's northern district, Thursday. Yonhap

The KMA said strong rain, a maximum of 250 millimeters, is anticipated throughout Friday for Gwangju, South and North Jeolla provinces as well as Jeju Island.

The northern part of Gyeonggi Province is also expected to see a maximum of 200 millimeters.

Concerns are growing that the southern region, which was already hit by the heavy rain that caused flooding and power outages earlier this week, could suffer additional damage.

From 4 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Thursday, Gwangju received 274.6 millimeters of rain, while Damyang and Hwasun in South Jeolla Province received 217.5 millimeters and 207.5 millimeters of rain, respectively.

Hampyeong in the same province, which received 196 millimeters of rain during the aforementioned period, reported the first fatality.

According to fire authorities in that region, a woman in her 60s who went missing after she left home to open a floodgate on Tuesday night, was found dead at 10:37 a.m. on Thursday. The woman worked as a water facility maintenance worker, according to local firefighters.

In South and North Jeolla provinces, at least eight homes and three commercial buildings have been flooded, while more than 4,000 hectares of farmland were damaged in those provinces, Gwangju and South Gyeongsang Province.

Officials in Gwangju cover part of a mountain to prevent a landslide amid the torrential rain forecast, Thursday. Yonhap

Weather authorities advised people not to approach streams, valleys and underground spaces as torrential rain could cause flash flooding.

Amid the continuing downpour, the Korea Forest Service has raised the landslide alert one notch to the second lowest “caution” from the lowest “attention” in its four-tier warning scale.

“There is a great danger of landslide due to the forecasted downpour,” an official from the Korea Forest Service said. “We advise people to get out of mountains and refrain from outside activities.”

According to the KMA, the rain is likely to die down during the weekend but recommence early next week.