South Korea lashed by 6 inches of rain in aftermath of Storm Jongdari

A tropical depression dumped heavy rain in southern South Korea and the populous Seoul region on Wednesday after weakening from a tropical storm.

Some southern parts of the mainland and the island of Jeju recorded 10 to 16 centimetres (3.9 to 6.2 inches) of rain. Some areas in the capital region saw 8 to 9 centimetres (3.1 to 3.5 inches) of rain as of Wednesday morning.

The depression that was once Tropical Storm Jongdari made landfall Wednesday and South Korea’s weather agency said the system was expected to dissipate soon.

No injuries have been reported.

At least 19 vehicles were damaged by floods in the southern town of Ulju and the nearby city of Ulsan, according to South Korea’s ministry of the interior and safety.

Emergency workers also responded to at least one flooded home, the ministry said.

Government officials had urged public vigilance and monitoring of areas like underground passageways and basement dwellings that are at high risk of flooding.

Dozens of roads and many public parks were closed.

The Korean Peninsula, which includes South Korea, is often impacted by typhoons, especially between July and September when the heat is at its peak.

This month, South Korea broke a century-old weather record with the 26th so-called tropical night in a row, when the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit), according to official data.

“The cold air is not coming down from the north and as we are affected by the warmer side of the southwest, the temperature is continuously recording around 25 degrees Celsius or above,” Youn Ki-han, director at Seoul’s Meteorology Forecast Division, told AFP.

Last week, typhoon Ampil brought Japan to a standstill, hundreds of flights and trains cancelled during Obon holiday week when millions of people return to their hometowns.