dailyloe.com – A major spring storm is forecast to hit South Korea from late Thursday night through Friday afternoon, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) predicts the heaviest rainfall will concentrate on the southern regions and Jeju Island. This weather system threatens to prematurely end the cherry blossom season in the south, while central areas may enjoy blooms longer.
Expected rainfall amounts vary significantly across the country. Jeju Island could see 30 to 100 mm, with over 150 mm in mountainous areas. Coastal regions in South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla provinces may receive 30 to 80 mm. In contrast, the Seoul metropolitan area and Chungcheong provinces are forecast for lighter showers of 5 to 40 mm. This disparity in precipitation will directly impact the duration of spring blossoms.
The KMA warns of intense downpours in specific areas early Friday morning. Hourly rainfall rates of 20 to 30 mm are expected along the southern coast from Busan to Jeolla. Strong winds, exceeding 70 km/h, are also forecast for Jeju and southeastern coastal areas. These conditions pose a significant threat to delicate cherry blossoms already in full bloom.
This heavy rain likely accelerates petal fall in southern regions, leading to an early ‘cherry blossom ending’. Central regions, with less rainfall, can likely enjoy the flowers through the weekend and into next week. The contrasting weather patterns create a split national forecast for spring flower viewing.
Temperatures on Friday will range from 8 to 13 degrees Celsius in the morning. Afternoon highs will reach 13 to 21 degrees, near or slightly above seasonal averages. Air quality is expected to be ‘Good’ to ‘Moderate’ nationwide following the rain.[]
Source: 주간조선
