Is South Korea Prepared for Another Wave of Heavy Rain?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Heavy rains expected across South Korea this week.
- Forecasts suggest some areas may receive over 120 mm of rain.
- Emergency response levels have been raised to Level 2.
- Residents advised to avoid roads near streams.
- Recent rains led to evacuations and casualties.
Seoul, Aug 6 (NationPress) A fresh wave of intense rainfall is set to inundate South Korea this week, with certain regions anticipating over 120 millimeters of precipitation, as stated by the weather agency on Wednesday.
Northeast areas of Gyeonggi Province and northern sections of Gangwon Province experienced more than 80 mm of rainfall on Wednesday morning, with rainclouds predicted to shift southward by the afternoon, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
The greater Seoul area, along with parts of Gangwon Province, is expected to receive between 30 to 100 mm of rain, while the Chungcheong provinces and southern areas, including Jeju Island, could see 30 to 80 mm through Thursday.
Forecasts suggest that southeastern regions of Gyeonggi, southern inland areas of Gangwon, and the southern Jeolla provinces may be hit with more than 120 mm of rain.
The KMA has advised against traveling on roads near streams, as they could quickly overflow due to the heavy rainfall.
With rain expected to drench the nation, the daily high temperature on Wednesday is anticipated to range from 28 to 34 degrees Celsius, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Earlier this week, thousands of residents in South Korea were compelled to evacuate due to heavy rains that battered the southern regions overnight, resulting in one fatality and eight injuries.
In total, 2,559 individuals sought refuge in the southern county of Sancheong due to what the KMA described as a once-in-200-years rainfall event.
The KMA estimated that southern regions received rainfall between 50 to 200 millimeters.
A man in his sixties was found deceased after being swept away in a torrent in the southwestern county of Muan, while eight others were injured in a highway accident in nearby Damyang when a vehicle skidded into a traffic barrier due to the heavy rains.
The disaster headquarters has elevated its emergency response level by one notch to Level 2 due to the ongoing heavy rains.