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Citizens cross the road in the rain in Jung-gu, central Seoul, Aug. 23. (Yonhap) |
Rain is expected nationwide until Wednesday, Korea's weather authorities said Monday, as three typhoons are on course to pass waters near Japan and China.
The Korea Meteorological Administration said it expects precipitation across the country and localized heavy rain. Heavy rainstorms, winds and thunderclouds are expected in the Greater Seoul area, starting Tuesday afternoon.
About 30-80 millimeters of rain is expected in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province, with northern Gyeonggi and northern Gangwon regions predicted to see over 100 millimeters of precipitation. The Jeolla and Gyeongsang Provinces are also expecting between 30 and 80 millimeters of rain.
The KMA is monitoring the situation to assess whether the three typhoons in the East Asian region will further affect the weather in Korea. While the typhoons will not hit the peninsula directly, their proximity to Korea's neighboring countries might have some knock-on effects.
Weather authorities initially predicted that both Typhoons Damrey and Saola would have no significant impact on Korea.
According to Monday's 11 a.m. typhoon watch by the Korea Meteorological Administration, Tropical Storm Haikui was categorized as a typhoon as of 9 a.m. Monday and is heading northwest over the Pacific Ocean. It passed over waters 570 kilometers northwest of Guam at a speed of 18 meters per second.
It is expected to continue on its current trajectory, passing by Okinawa, Japan, later this week.
Typhoons Saola and Damrey are currently adjacent to the Philippines and Japan, respectively. The KMA projects a short life-span for Typhoon Damrey -- expected to dissipate Tuesday afternoon -- but Typhoons Saola and Haikui are forecast to last at least until Saturday, and are likely to affect each other due to the proximity of their trajectories.
Typhoon Damrey is expected to have no effect on the Korean Peninsula, while it is unclear whether Typhoon Saola will. Typhoon Haikui, however, is projected to have some influence over local weather.
