Torrential rains that lashed South Korea have killed at least 18 people and left nine others missing, authorities said, as the government lifted advisories for heavy rain and the meteorological agency warned of a return of heatwaves to southern parts of the country. The downpours began on July 16 and brought some of the heaviest hourly rainfall on record to some of South Korea’s central and southern provinces.
The five-day deluge collapsed homes, triggered landslides, and unleashed flash floods that swept away cars and campers. At least 10 people were killed in the southern county of Sancheong, and four others remain missing there, according to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Another person was killed when their house collapsed in the town of Gapyeong, northeast of the capital, Seoul, while a man who had been camping near a stream there was found dead after being swept away by rapid currents.
The rains also forced some 14,166 people to evacuate their homes in 15 cities and provinces, and caused “extensive property damage”. According to the Yonhap news agency, 1,999 cases of damage had been recorded at public facilities, and 2,238 cases were recorded at private homes and buildings. South Korea’s military said it has dispatched some 2,500 personnel to the southwestern city of Gwangju as well as the South Chungcheong and South Gyeongsang provinces to assist in the recovery efforts.
Hannah June Kim, an associate professor in the Graduate School of International Studies at Sogang University in Seoul, told Al Jazeera that “a lot of people were taken off guard” because monsoonal rains came later than expected this year. “The expectation was that monsoons would not be appearing during this summer,” she said. “So, when this heavy rain started to fall this past week, a lot of local areas were unprepared.” She added, “We are seeing the heavy effects of climate change and how it’s affecting different areas.”
The South Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast more rainfall in the southern regions on Monday but said that a heatwave would follow. Heatwave advisories and warnings have already been issued for parts of South Jeolla, the east coast of Gangwon, and Jeju Island. According to the KMA, heatwaves are expected to bring morning lows of 23-26°C (73.4-78.8°F) and daytime highs of 30-35°C (86-95°F), higher than the seasonal averages.