From Extreme Drought to Torrential Downpours: "The Weather is Now Terrifying"

[Anchor]

Following a drought lasting over a month, extreme torrential rain pounded Jeju. Residents express growing concerns over the increasing frequency of short-lived, intense downpours, leaving them anxious about when and how heavily the next rain will strike.

JIBS reporter Jung Yong-gi has the details.

[Reporter]

In the early hours of the 17th, more than 67 millimeters of rain per hour battered Susan-ri, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo.

The three-hour precipitation total exceeded 132 millimeters.

A farmer with over 20 years of experience was left deeply shaken.

Water overflowing from an empty lot beside the farm ended up flooding greenhouse facilities.

After more than a month of severe drought, the sudden water bomb made the weather feel downright terrifying.

[Oh Young-du / Kiwi Farmer: I think this is the first time in my life I have ever experienced weather like this. After suffering from a drought, this kind of sudden and concentrated downpour hits, leaving us wondering how on earth we are supposed to prepare for such a situation.]

Satellite imagery from the time of the extreme downpour clearly shows dense rain clouds covering Jeju.

The localized heavy rain was caused by a low-pressure system positioned off the western seas, which brought in hot and humid southwesterly winds that funneled moisture-laden cloud bands into Jeju.

Due to geographical factors, particularly around areas east of Hallasan, rain clouds developed strongly to heights exceeding 10 kilometers, resulting in a stark precipitation gap compared to the western areas of Jeju City.

Even a day later, water left behind by the torrential rain has not drained away from fields in various areas.

Here in the eastern region, localized torrential rain poured down all at once, leaving fields submerged in water in multiple places.

Last year as well, downpours nearing 80 millimeters per hour lashed Jocheon-eup, marking a continuing series of short and intense localized downpours hitting specific regions.

For farmers who spent over a month praying for rain, unpredictable torrential downpours have now presented them with a new challenge to tackle.

(Video by Ko Seung-han / JIBS, Footage provided by National Meteorological Satellite Center)

Jung Yong-gi, JIBS
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.