Heat to persist Sunday with highs of 33 C; showers expected across much of country from afternoon

By Yang Geun-hyuk, The Herald Business

Strong gusts, thunder, lightning and hail are possible in parts of the central inland regions on Sunday.

Showers are forecast from Sunday afternoon through the night across the Greater Seoul area, the central and northern inland and mountain areas of Gangwon Province, the Chungcheong region, the inland areas of North Jeolla Province, Gwangju and South Jeolla Province (excluding the West Sea coast), the southwestern inland areas of North Gyeongsang Province, the western inland areas of South Gyeongsang Province, and the mountain areas of Jeju Island.

Expected rainfall totals are 5–30 mm for Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi Province and the central and northern inland and mountain areas of Gangwon Province; 5–20 mm for Daejeon, Sejong, South Chungcheong Province, North Chungcheong Province, the inland areas of North Jeolla Province, Gwangju, South Jeolla Province (excluding the West Sea coast), the southwestern inland areas of North Gyeongsang Province and the western inland areas of South Gyeongsang Province; and around 5 mm for the mountain areas of Jeju Island.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to range from 24 to 33 degrees Celsius.

As of 5 a.m. Sunday, temperatures stood at 22.3 C in Seoul, 21.4 C in Incheon, 19.4 C in Suwon, 16.3 C in Chuncheon, 17.3 C in Gangneung, 21.8 C in Cheongju, 21.2 C in Daejeon, 20.4 C in Jeonju, 21.3 C in Gwangju, 19.8 C in Jeju, 15.6 C in Daegu, 19.1 C in Busan, 14.8 C in Ulsan and 18.3 C in Changwon.

Wave heights are expected to reach 0.5–1.0 meters in the near coastal waters of the East Sea and South Sea, and 0.5 meters in the near coastal waters of the West Sea. In the outer offshore waters — roughly within 200 kilometers of the coastline — swells are forecast at 0.5–1.0 meters in the East and West seas and 0.5–1.5 meters in the South Sea.