This year's Chuseok full moon is expected to be visible in all regions except the eastern areas. In regions such as Gangwon Yeongdong and North Gyeongsang, heavy cloud cover is likely to block the view of the full moon.
In the early part of the Chuseok holiday, when many people travel to their hometowns, heavy rain is expected in the southern region and Jeju. Travelers using road, sea, and air transportation should take safety precautions.
The Korea meteorological Administration said in a Sept. 1 briefing on the "Chuseok holiday weather outlook" that "in the early part of the holiday, heavy rain will fall mainly in the south and Jeju," and "around Chuseok day and in the latter part of the holiday, light rain is expected mainly in the central region."
First, on Sept. 2–4, when many people travel to their hometowns, heavy rain is forecast mainly along the South Jeolla coast and Jeju. ▲ Sept. 2: Jeju and the south coast ▲ Sept. 3: North Chungcheong, North Gyeongsang, and inland Gangwon (Yeongseo) ▲ Sept. 5: the east coast and Jeju will see rain. In particular, more than 100 mm of rain may fall in Jeju's mountainous areas, with the possibility of a "heavy rain advisory" being issued. Strong winds are expected over the West and South Seas and along the Jeju coast. The Korea meteorological Administration said, "Not only those traveling by land, but also travelers using ships and planes should closely check the weather conditions."
On Chuseok day (Sept. 6), the full moon is expected to be visible in many areas. However, in eastern regions such as Gangwon Yeongdong and North Gyeongsang, heavy cloud cover will likely make observation difficult.
On Sept. 5–6, rain is forecast for the greater Seoul area and Gangwon's inland (Yeongseo) and east (Yeongdong) regions. In the latter part of the holiday, on Sept. 7–9, light rain may continue mainly in the central region. Meanwhile, Sept. 8–9 is a "spring tide" period when sea levels rise, so caution is needed for coastal safety accidents.
There is also a possibility of a typhoon developing during the holiday, but the uncertainty remains high. Around Sept. 8, a tropical depression, often called a "seed of a typhoon," may develop over waters south of Japan. An official at the Korea meteorological Administration said, "With high sea surface temperatures, the tropical depression could intensify to typhoon strength," adding, "However, for a typhoon to form, the surrounding pressure pattern that steers the winds is more important, and the uncertainty is very high. Even if it develops into a typhoon, it is not yet possible to predict whether it will affect Korea."
Temperatures during this holiday period will generally be higher than average. In the southern region, temperatures are expected to be about 3 degrees higher than average, making it somewhat hotter than other areas. Morning lows nationwide are expected to be about 5 degrees higher than average. During the holiday, the minimum temperatures will range from 14 to 24 degrees, and the highs will range from 21 to 29 degrees.