Typhoon Kong-rey to bring heavy rain to southern Korea before cold snap arrives

Typhoon Kong-rey is not expected to make landfall on the Korean Peninsula, but it will still cause significant rainfall in the southern regions due to its moisture content.

Satallite footage of Typhoon Kong-rey [KOREA METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION]

Typhoon Kong-rey is not expected to make landfall on the Korean Peninsula, but it will still cause significant rainfall in the southern regions due to its moisture content.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Thursday, heavy rain will particularly impact Jeju Island, continuing through Saturday morning. Early next week, temperatures are expected to plummet as cold continental high pressure moves in from the north.

Kong-rey is forecast to weaken into an extratropical cyclone around Saturday after encountering the terrain of Taiwan and China, along with cooler sea surface temperatures off Taiwan’s coast. However, moisture from the weakened low-pressure system is still anticipated to collide with cold inland air south of Jeju, forming a strong rain belt.

As of 9 a.m. Friday, the Jeju Regional Meteorological Administration has issued heavy rain and strong wind advisories for all land areas of Jeju.

Rainfall in the southern regions will subside starting Saturday morning as the low-pressure system passes. However, as high pressure expands from the north, easterly winds may bring rain to the eastern region of Gangwon.

Expected total rainfall from Thursday to Saturday ranges from 50 to 250 millimeters (1.97 to 9.84 inches) in Jeju and 20 to 80 millimeters in southern South Jeolla, Busan, Ulsan and South Gyeongsang.

Following the autumn rains, the first subzero temperatures of the season are predicted for next week. Strong, cold continental high pressure is expected to bring a sharp temperature drop from early Monday morning.

Morning temperatures on Monday and Tuesday are forecast to range from 1 to 14 degrees Celsius (33.8 to 57.2 degrees Fahrenheit), with daytime highs between 10 and 21 degrees. This represents a drop of about 8 degrees compared to the previous weekend, which had morning lows of 9 to 18 degrees and daytime highs of 18 to 23 degrees. On Wednesday and Thursday, morning temperatures are expected to range from 0 to 9 degrees, with daytime highs between 12 and 19 degrees, marking the first subzero weather of the fall.

From Thursday onward, temperatures are expected to return to seasonal norms as the high-pressure system retreats, although significant temperature fluctuations will likely continue.

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]