East Asia faces more flood threats

Summer rains in Japan and the Koreas have been significant and haven’t yet ceased.

A dismal walk across Gwanghwamun Square as rain falls in central Seoul, South Korea
A dismal walk across Gwanghwamun Square as rain falls in central Seoul, South Korea [EPA-EFE/Yonhap]

Typhoons and stalled fronts in Japan and on the Korean Peninsula this summer have brought unprecedented rainfall and flooding from Gifu prefecture down to Hiroshima.

The typhoon season hasn’t ended and the remnants of Rumbia and a declining Typhoon Soulik went through the Korean Peninsula less than a week ago. The current threat to East Asia is from a near-stationary rain band that stretches from the Yellow Sea, across South Korea to central Honshu.

Japan’s meteorological agency has issued warnings of heavy rain that could lead to landslides and floods in Niigata and Ishikawa prefectures on Japan’s biggest island of Honshu.

Over the last two days, the system has dropped 245mm of rain over the city of Daejeon in South Korea, bringing widespread flooding. On the east coast of Honshu, Onahama recorded more than 100mm of rain in under six hours.

This slow-moving rain band is destined to bring up to 250mm more rain to North Korea, parts of South Korea, and northern Honshu.

Tropical Storm Jebi, meanwhile, may hit the region in early September.

Source: Al Jazeera