Rain forecast throughout the week with hail... July's 'Jangma Horror Story' Becomes Reality

Movement of the Stagnation Front 'Unpredictable'
Heatwave Continues Despite Jangma Rain

Starting from Chobok on the 11th, the rainy season will once again cover the entire country. This rain, accompanied by gusts of wind, thunder, and lightning, is forecast to continue mainly in the central region until the 17th.

On the 11th, when it rained, citizens hurried on their way to work at Gwanghwamun Intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul. / Photo by Mun Honam munonam@

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecasted that on the 11th, the central region (excluding Gangwon Yeongdong), Jeolla region, and northern inland Gyeongbuk will experience rain with thunder and lightning at a rate of 30 to 80 mm per hour. The expected precipitation is 30 to 100 mm in the central region, Jeolla region, and northern inland Gyeongbuk, with the Seoul metropolitan area and Chungnam region receiving a ‘water bomb’ of over 120 mm again.

The stationary front, which was located near Jeju Island on the 10th, is expected to gradually strengthen from the 11th and settle in the middle of the Korean Peninsula from the 13th, stretching long east to west and short north to south. As the large Tibetan high-pressure system expands eastward, dry air moves southward from the west, and warm, humid air from the southeast advances northward due to the expansion of the North Pacific high-pressure system, the stationary front formed is likely to bring heavy localized downpours.

As this stationary front fluctuates north and south, heavy and widespread rain is expected nationwide from the 13th. The central region will see rain until the 17th, while Jeju and the southern regions will have rain every day except the 13th and 14th. Moreover, the movement of the stationary front is frequently changing depending on the expansion of the North Pacific high, so the KMA plans to provide weather updates regularly through forecasts.

This situation resembles the ‘rainy season rumor’ that circulated online this spring, claiming that it would rain every day in July except for three days. At that time, the KMA explained that predicting rainfall several months in advance is scientifically impossible.

The KMA warned that since the ground has been weakened by frequent heavy rains recently, there is a risk of landslides and other damage even in areas with light rain, urging people to prepare accordingly. President Yoon Seok-yeol also instructed, “In case of heavy rain, even small risk factors detected early should prompt proactive measures such as swiftly evacuating residents from dangerous areas.”

Hail accompanied by thunder and lightning poured down in the Seoul area on the 3rd, and hail piled up near a shopping district in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In particular, there is a possibility of hail during this rainy season in areas with unstable atmosphere. It is unusual for hail to occur in midsummer, which happens when cold air in the upper and lower atmosphere and hot air are positioned at opposite extremes.

Since observations began in 1904, hail has fallen 31 times in July. The most recent hailstorm occurred on July 10, 2021, observed in Andong, Gyeongbuk, and Daegu. In the Seoul metropolitan area, hail has never been recorded in July over the past 119 years, but this time, hail is forecasted to fall in some areas including parts of Gangwon, Incheon, and southern Gyeonggi.

Meanwhile, as it is Chobok, marking the start of the full summer heat, temperatures are not expected to drop significantly despite the rain. The KMA forecasted daytime high temperatures on the 11th to be between 26 and 32 degrees Celsius. Tropical nights will also appear in some areas along the Gangwon East Coast and southern regions. A tropical night is a phenomenon where the temperature remains above 25 degrees Celsius from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day, making it difficult for people to sleep due to the heat.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.