Gangneung in Gangwon, which is experiencing an "extreme drought," is forecast to get rain this Saturday. The east coast of Gangwon, including Gangneung, is expected to see 20–60 mm of rain over two days on the 12th and 13th. When the rain is heaviest in the area, it is expected to fall at about 10 mm per hour, a "moderate" level.
The Korea meteorological Administration said at a regular forecast briefing on the 11th that "rain that begins on the 12th afternoon, mainly in the central region and the west, will gradually expand nationwide," adding, "On the 12th–13th, it will rain across the country, and from the 13th evening, the rain will begin to stop."
The expected rainfall over the two days of the 12th–13th is ▲ 120 mm or more in southern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, and South Chungcheong ▲ 100 mm or more in Seoul, Incheon, northern Gyeonggi, northern North Chungcheong, and North Jeolla. The east coast of Gangwon, including Gangneung, is forecast to get 20–60 mm of rain. The northern east coast of Gangwon, including Sokcho and Yangyang, will see 80 mm or more.
In the Gangneung area, rain is expected to fall for about nine hours. At its heaviest, it is expected to be about 10 mm per hour. This is an "everyday" level of rain where raindrops are visible to the naked eye and activity is possible with an umbrella.
However, rainfall in the Gangneung area is highly variable. An official at the Korea meteorological Administration said, "Whether northeasterly winds flow in is key to rainfall on the Gangwon east coast," adding, "Accordingly, even within Yeongdong in Gangwon, rainfall may vary greatly by nearby area." The official added, "We cannot conclude that this one round of rain will relieve the drought in Gangneung, but the long-awaited rain may fall a bit this time."
After the nationwide rain stops around Sunday, "clear days" and "rainy days" will alternate for a while. Around Wednesday the 17th next week, rain will again fall mainly in the central region and the west and then stop, and around Saturday the 20th next week, there is a chance of rain again. However, an official at the Korea meteorological Administration said, "As of now, the chance of rain in Yeongdong, Gangwon next week is low."
On days with precipitation, temperatures will temporarily drop. Still, overall temperatures are expected to remain above normal. In Seoul, lows are expected to be 19–23 C through next Sunday, with highs around 25–32 C.