"Marble-sized" Hail Hits Various Areas... Falling onto Streets

[Anchor]

Loud, sudden downpours occurred this afternoon (June 14). Many were surprised as hail fell in various locations. In Seoul, a heavy rain advisory was issued for the first time this year.

Reporter Park Ha-jeong has the story.

[Reporter]

White ice pellets mixed with rain fall incessantly onto the streets.

Placed in the palm of a hand, the hail is the size of a marble.

This was the scene in Dongtan-gu, Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, around 4:00 p.m. today.

[Hwaseong Resident: Large pieces, over 1.5 cm, weren't just falling one or two at a time; they were pouring down like rain, accompanied by lightning. It was enough to knock leaves off the trees.]

Such hail fell in various parts of Gyeonggi-do, including Suwon, along with heavy showers and thunder and lightning.

In Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, heavy rain of around 25 mm per hour fell, and a heavy rain advisory was issued for the northeastern and northwestern parts of Seoul as of 3:00 p.m.

This is the first heavy rain warning issued in Seoul this year.

[Seo Eun-jin/Korea Meteorological Administration Forecaster: As cold air passes over the Korean Peninsula, rising temperatures during the day have intensified atmospheric instability, leading to gusts, thunder, lightning, and hail in various places.]

The phenomenon where rain clouds develop rapidly due to the temperature difference between the upper and lower atmosphere amidst sweltering heat of around 30°C (86°F) can recur at any time.

With a daytime high of 32°C (90°F) in Seoul tomorrow, the sweltering heat is expected to continue nationwide for the time being.

Showers of 5 to 10 mm are forecast mainly for the inland regions of the Yeongnam and Honam provinces.

The Korea Meteorological Administration has advised the public to refrain from camping in valleys due to the risk of sudden flooding, to be cautious of farmland flooding, and to exercise caution regarding traffic safety as visibility may be reduced and roads may be slippery.

(Video reporting: Yang Ji-hoon, Video editing: Kim Ho-jin)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.