[Anchor]

The weather is showing a stark contrast, with heavy rain in the central region and heatwaves in the south. Today, July 21, marks the 22nd day since the monsoon season began. When will this year's monsoon end?

Reporter Seo Donggyun has the details on the weather.

[Reporter]

Today, Gyodong-myeon in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, received 142mm of rain, while Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul saw 74mm.

[Cho Seong-yun/Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: It is raining and humid, which is the most uncomfortable part. I hope the monsoon ends soon.]

On the other hand, heatwave warnings have been issued for parts of the Yeongnam and Honam regions and Jeju Island, while heatwave advisories are in effect for most other southern regions.

Let us take a look at the current satellite imagery.

In the footage, red indicates low clouds, and white indicates high clouds. The central region of Korea shows a mix of red and white, which means the monsoon front, with well-organized upper and lower cloud layers, is positioned there.

To the south of the front, the North Pacific High is exerting influence, causing heatwaves in the southern regions.

Looking at the monsoon rainfall recorded until yesterday, the central region received 279.1mm, which is more than the amount recorded in the southern regions and Jeju Island.

Compared to the same period in average years, the central region has received more rain, while the southern regions and Jeju Island have received less.

This year's monsoon began on June 30 in the southern regions and Jeju Island, and on July 1 in the central region.

The monsoon has been ongoing for 22 days in the south and Jeju, and 21 days in the central region. Since the average monsoon season lasts about 31 days, it is difficult to say that the monsoon is dragging on.

This monsoon rain is expected to continue in the Seoul metropolitan area until this coming Sunday, and in the southern regions until Friday.

There is no rain in the forecast after that, but we need to wait and see whether the monsoon has truly ended.

[Lee Gwang-yeon/Forecasting Analyst, Korea Meteorological Administration: Because the volatility of the pressure system in the south, especially over tropical waters, remains very high, it is still difficult to determine the end of the monsoon season.]

Tomorrow, 20 to 60mm of rain is expected, mainly in the central region.

Reported by Seo Donggyun | Video by Yoon Tae-ho | Design by Seo Seung-hyun and Lee So-jeong | VJ by Shin So-young