Jangma ends, leaving Korea under subtropical heat

Han River in Seoul is filled with muddy water as an influence of torrential rain on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Jangma, the rainy season, finishes in South Korea around Saturday and scorching hot days will last for, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced its analysis Tuesday.

South Korea came under the influence of a strong subtropical high and the rainy front moved to North Korea, and it can be interpreted as the end of jangma, the forecast agency said.

This year’s jangma lasted over a month -- 31.5 days in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi and Gangwon Province, 31.4 days in southern provinces and 32.4 days in Jeju Island --beginning in late June, the KMA said.

But the accurate length of this year’s jangma will be figured out in September as a result of analysis of observation data, the agency added.

Average rainfall during this year’s jangma across South Korea was 472.0 millimeters, about 30 percent higher than the average jangma rainfall between 1991 and 2020.

As the influence of the subtropical atmosphere continues for weeks, most of South Korea will see tropical nights -- in which the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. the next day.

A heat wave with highs of 35 C and over is also forecast in many parts of Gyeongsang Province and cities along the East Sea, while high humidity will push sensory temperature higher.

There will be some rain forecast in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and the western part of Gangwon Province on Friday, but no more is forecast after that as of Tuesday.

Young children, elderly citizens and people with chronic diseases are advised to refrain from outdoor activities and consume plenty of water and electrolytes to avoid heat-caused diseases, the KMA said.

By Lim Jae-seong(forestjs@heraldcorp.com)