Geoje and Tongyeong Set Record-Breaking Rainfall; Up to 100mm More Expected

Record-breaking rainfall has battered South Gyeongsang Province, including Geoje.

With up to 100mm or more of additional rain forecasted for the western southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province, special caution is required against disasters such as landslides and flooding in low-lying areas.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Geoje experienced an "extreme downpour" of 124.5mm in just one hour from 1:32 AM today (August 17).

This is a new record for one-hour precipitation since weather observations began in Geoje on January 24, 1972.

The previous record was 96.5mm, set on July 5, 2001.

Gadeokdo in Gangseo-gu, Busan, also was pummeled with 101.5mm of rain per hour starting at 2:59 AM.

This summer, hourly downpours reaching 100mm were observed for the first time in Geoje and Gadeokdo.

In Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, 97.4mm of rain fell per hour starting at 5:11 AM, marking a new one-hour precipitation record since meteorological observations began in Tongyeong on January 1, 1968.

By 11:15 AM today, Geoje and Tongyeong recorded daily rainfall totals of 542.1mm and 391.3mm, respectively, both of which are the highest daily precipitation figures since weather observations began in each respective region.

As the rain has not completely stopped, the daily precipitation records are subject to increase.

Looking at the cumulative precipitation from 9 AM on Liberation Day (August 15), when the rain started, to 11 AM today, heavy downpours were concentrated in the southern coast and Jeju Island, with Geoje recording 815.5mm, Tongyeong 686.1mm, Gadeokdo 438mm, Sacheon (Samcheonpo) in South Gyeongsang Province 379mm, and Hallasan (South Wall) in Jeju 363.5mm.

Considering that the average summer precipitation (from 1991 to 2020) for Geoje and Tongyeong is 935.1mm and 728.8mm, respectively, the two regions have received about 90% of their usual total summer rainfall in just three days.

Heavy rain fell nationwide, centered around the southern coast and Jeju, as a low-pressure system weakened from Typhoon Dolphin approached from the southwest of the Korean Peninsula and passed northeastward.

In the Northern Hemisphere, wind blows counterclockwise around low-pressure systems. As the low approached, warm and humid winds blew from the south, triggering heavy downpours in the southern coast and Jeju where these winds collided with the terrain.

The KMA forecasted that rain will continue across most parts of the country until this morning, with intermittent rain expected to last until tonight in Yeongnam and Jeju.

The expected amounts of additional rainfall are 30 to 80mm for Busan, Ulsan, the southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province, and eastern inland South Gyeongsang Province (with over 100mm in some areas of the western southern coast of South Gyeongsang Province); 20 to 60mm for inland South Gyeongsang Province (excluding eastern inland), southeastern North Gyeongsang Province, Ulleungdo, Dokdo, Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, and Jeju; 5 to 40mm for Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong Province, North Jeolla Province, Daegu, and North Gyeongsang Province; 5 to 30mm for North Chungcheong Province; 5 to 20mm for the Seoul metropolitan area; 5 to 10mm for southern Gangwon Province; and around 5mm for central and northern Gangwon Province.

Entering the afternoon, sporadic showers are expected across the entire country except for Jeju.

(Photo provided by South Gyeongsang Fire Headquarters, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.