Severe rain and winds flood Seoul streets, spark emergency response

On Sunday, Seoul experienced torrential rain accompanied by strong winds that flooded streets and strained the city's drainage infrastructure. Gangbuk Ward saw an hourly rainfall peak of 53.5 mm, the most intense anywhere in the country at that time, while cumulative totals reached 65 mm by late afternoon. The Seoul fire department received 129 emergency calls, including requests for drainage assistance, reports of fallen trees and safety inspections of public facilities.

Authorities sent a text-message alert at 3:16 p.m., advising citizens to steer clear of low-lying and high-risk areas, and restricted access to 16 urban streams. Traffic was halted on key routes such as the Jeungsan Bridge in Seodaemun Ward, and a fallen tree blocked a busy road in Gangnam Ward. The storm forced the cancellation of outdoor events like the Grand Mint Festival at Olympic Park, and prompted the activation of Level 1 emergency response and partial operation of twelve rainwater pumping stations.