Extremely heavy rains hit Seoul, South Korea
Image credit: Xinhua
Seoul and its surrounding metropolitan area were severely impacted by heavy rainfall on July 19, 2024, with up to 634 mm (25 inches) recorded over the past two days. The torrential downpour was the heaviest of this rainy season, with more heavy rain expected starting July 20.
According to the Korea Meteorological Agency (KMA), Seoul experienced over 50 mm (2 inches) of rainfall per hour this morning. Pyeongtaek recorded 88.5 mm (3.5 inches), Paju 69.8 mm (2.75 inches), and Yeoncheon-gun 58.5 mm (2.3 inches), severely limiting visibility.
Generally, rainfall over 30 mm (1.2 inches) per hour is considered heavy, and over 50 mm (2 inches) is considered extremely heavy. Panmunjeom in Paju recorded 634 mm (25 inches) over two days, nearly half of Paju’s average annual rainfall of 1 295.8 mm (51 inches). Incheon saw 328.5 mm (13 inches), and Seoul 208 mm (8.2 inches).
The heavy rains caused rivers in Seoul to turn murky and look like swamps.
So much rain in recent days the river in Seoul has almost turned into a swamp pic.twitter.com/Sf9VY35lle
— Sam Kim (@samkimreports) July 19, 2024
The deluge was caused by a seasonal rain front stretching narrowly across the region. An irregularly developed mid-sized low-pressure system on this front, combined with a low jet stream from the southwest, brought in substantial water vapor.
The torrential rains have caused significant damage throughout the capital, flooding roads and homes and forcing evacuations in low-lying areas.
Flood warnings were issued at eight points along the Imjin and Hantan rivers. Six hundred twenty-eight households, comprising 901 people, were temporarily evacuated from 36 municipalities and districts in eight provinces.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety upgraded the Central Disaster Safety and Countermeasures Centre from emergency level 1 to level 2. They raised the heavy rain alert from “caution” to “warning.”
Heavy rains of 100.9 mm (4 inches) per hour battered Munsan in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, while Singok-dong in Uijeongbu received 103.5 mm (4 inches) of rain for an hour.
Heavy rain battered South Korea's Paju and parts of the metro area Thursday, causing floods & suspending public transport. Rescue workers evacuated residents. A rain alert in Seoul halted access to expressways and 29 streams. No casualties were reported.
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) July 18, 2024
AP pic.twitter.com/okKBaomEDL
The Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency received 582 reports, primarily for evacuation assistance due to heavy rainfall. In southern Gyeonggi Province, 208 reports were filed.
At 02:25 local time (LT), two people were evacuated from Yangju after a landslide caused a retaining wall from a construction site to collapse on top of a house. At 04:50 LT, two individuals were rescued from a flooded building in Paju, and five passengers escaped safely from four submerged cars near Munsan Stream. Immediate evacuation orders were issued to residents in Osan due to swollen streams.
Flood advisories and emergency alerts have been issued for various districts, and hundreds of residents have evacuated their homes.
The Ministry of Education reported temporary closures and shorter classes for several schools in Gyeonggi Province and Incheon.
Commuters in greater Seoul were also affected as several roads and subways were shut down due to the rain. Both directions of the Dongbu Expressway and sections of the Naebu Expressway were suspended, and Seoul’s Line No. 1 subways from Yeoncheon Station to Dobongsan Station were disrupted.
The Korea Forest Service raised its landslide alerts to the highest “serious” level for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon Provinces.
The Interior Ministry mobilized personnel and resources to minimize further damage.
The KMA forecasts additional heavy rain in already affected areas, with the Greater Seoul area expecting up to 150 mm (6 inches) of rain on July 20.
References:
1 Heavy rainfall causes major flooding in Seoul – Donga – July 19, 2024
2 Torrential rains trigger evacuations, closures in Greater Seoul, central region – ANN – July 19, 2024
3 Heavy rain hits Seoul, Gyeonggi – ANN – July 18, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Thankfully – there are no reports of Deaths or Injuries in such heavy rainfall.