Heavy Rains

[Anchor Lead]

While heavy rains pounded the southern part of the nation throughout the weekend, the central region also saw a lot of rain overnight on Sunday. Citizens are advised to take extra caution to prevent possible damage from torrential rains, which are predicted to hit the central and southern regions this week.

[Pkg]

Murky water gushes down violently. The stream has turned into a torrent with a downpour falling 50 millimeters per hour. This is a far cry from a scene a week ago when the stream dried up, exposing rocks at its bottom, amid the prolonged heat waves. Regions near Mount Jiri received up to nearly 300 millimeters of heavy rains on Sunday alone. Last night, the rain reached the central region of the nation with clouds moving north. The country saw more rain than it did when typhoon Soulik was passing through the nation last week. The latest heavy rains were caused by a passage of steam that formed over the Korean Peninsula. Heavy rains will continue around the nation until Monday morning before stopping in the capital region and Gangwon-do Province by the afternoon. However, rain is predicted to resume on Tuesday and the nation will experience more rainy days this week, as clouds will likely travel up and down the central and southern regions. Experts say that it will be similar to an autumn rainy spell, which used to hit the nation around this time in previous years.

[Soundbite] Prof. Seo Kyung-hwan(Pusan National University) : "It is analyzed as a second, modified rainy season, which was caused by another confrontation between air streams from the north and south, with the North Pacific high atmospheric pressure system remaining strong."

Precautionary measures should be taken to prevent landslides and collapses of structures, since heavy rains can weaken the ground. Campers are advised to take extra caution to prevent possible damages, as water levels abruptly rise particularly in mountain streams.