South Korea: Heavy rain hits Seoul area, triggers year's first emergency text alert

Seoul, May 16 (IANS) Heavier-than-expected rainfall hit the greater South Korea's Seoul area on Friday, prompting the year's first emergency text alert for heavy rain to be sent via mobile phones to residents in parts of the region.

At around 4:30 p.m., residents of Onam-eup in Namyangju, about 25 kilometres east of Seoul, received an emergency text message warning of torrential rain after the area recorded 74 millimetres of rainfall in just one hour.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issues such alerts when hourly rainfall exceeds 50 mm and three-hour cumulative rainfall tops 90 mm, or when one-hour rainfall alone surpasses 72 mm.

Eighteen streams in Seoul, including Cheonggye Stream and Anyang Stream, were closed to the public due to torrential downpours, according to Seoul city officials.

Rain also caused traffic congestion on major roads during the evening rush hour.

Weather officials said the heavy rain was likely caused by a mix of cold air lingering in the upper atmosphere over Seoul and warm, humid air flowing into the lower atmosphere due to a low-pressure system passing south of the peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported.

Rain is expected to continue across much of the country through late Friday. Showers may persist into early Saturday in central and southern Gangwon Province, and inland areas of Chungcheong, Jeolla and Gyeongsang provinces, as well as on Jeju Island.

Strong gusts, lightning and even hail may accompany the storms, prompting officials to urge the public to take precautions to protect facilities, crops and personal safety.

While most of the rain is expected to subside in the Seoul area by Friday night, showers will likely continue into early Saturday morning in central and southern Gangwon, the inland parts of the Chungcheong and Jeolla regions, the Gyeongsang region and on Jeju Island.

Light rain of less than 5 millimetres is expected on Saturday in the capital region and the mountainous inland areas of Gangwon during the afternoon and evening hours.

--IANS

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