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The dried, cracked bed of Ungdong Reservoir in Muan-myeon, Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 10th. / Yonhap

Rain is forecast to fall across the country during the Liberation Day holiday, raising the possibility of easing the severe drought currently affecting southern regions. Once the rain clears, hot weather and tropical nights are expected to return the following week.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 13th, rain is forecast to fall nationwide starting from the East Coast that day and continuing through the 17th, near the end of the Liberation Day holiday. Due to easterly winds, up to 40mm of rain is expected along the East Coast through the 14th. From the 15th, scattered showers driven by atmospheric instability are expected, and on the 16th-17th, rain is forecast to spread nationwide as a low-pressure system approaches from Shanghai, China.

In particular, rainfall is expected to concentrate along the South Coast and around Jirisan Mountain, areas affected by terrain in combination with an influx of hot, humid southerly winds. This has led to some speculation that the drought in southern regions, including South Gyeongsang Province, could be partially eased.

However, specific rainfall amounts after the 15th remain uncertain. Currently, low-pressure systems that formed from the remnants of Typhoon No. 13 (Dolphin) and Typhoon No. 15 (Chanhom) sit to the east and west of the Korean Peninsula, respectively, with a high-pressure system to the northwest, creating a complex atmospheric pattern. As a result, numerical forecast models show significant variability in rainfall location and amount depending on the scenario.

The KMA explained that in addition to meteorological drought, which focuses on rainfall amounts, hydrological drought — how much of the rain actually flows into reservoirs — also needs to be considered, adding that while it's uncertain whether this rain will fully resolve the drought, it is expected to provide some relief.

Temperatures are expected to briefly ease during the rainy period before rising again starting on the 18th, returning to near-normal levels. Seoul's daytime high is expected to stay around 30 degrees through the 17th, then climb to around 34 degrees from the 18th. With the perceived temperature reaching up to around 33 degrees in the greater Seoul area, South Chungcheong, and southern regions, heatwave conditions and tropical nights could return once again.

                                                                                                         Kim Hong-chan