[Breaking News] Seoul issues its first ‘heavy rain emergency disaster message’ of the year… Over 50mm of rain per hour.

On the morning of the 17th, citizens in Seoul’s Jongno-gu near Gwanghwamun Square are seen using umbrellas while moving under the rain. An emergency disaster message for heavy rain was sent in Seoul for the first time this year. Around 9:20 a.m. on the same day, heavy rain of more than 50 mm per hour fell in the areas of Jungnang 3-dong, Seongbuk-gu, prompting the dispatch of emergency disaster messages to Seongbuk-gu and nearby areas in Jongno-gu. The emergency disaster message, sent directly by the Korea Meteorological Administration, urges swift evacuation and response when there is heavy rainfall exceeding 50 mm per hour for one hour and over 90 mm for three hours, or when there is rainfall exceeding 72 mm per hour. The emergency disaster message system in the capital region has been formally operating since last year after a pilot operation, with a total of six emergency disaster messages for heavy rain sent to the region last year. Currently, strong winds, thunder, lightning, and rainfall of 30-60 mm per hour are pouring in the capital region and inland areas of Gangwon Province. The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that the region will continue to experience 30-60 mm of rainfall per hour throughout the morning, especially highlighting that eastern Gyeonggi Province may see rainfall exceeding 70 mm per hour.