A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

One of Rachel's students told her it would rain for the next month or so. Hyperbole? That's what I thought, until I did some research. From Asianinfo.org:

The rainy season over Korea, the so-called changma season, continues for a month from late June until late July. A short period of rainfall comes in early September when the monsoon front retreats back from the north. This rain occurs over a period of 30-40 days in June through July at all points of South Korea... and accounts for more than 50% of annual precipitation at most stations... The southern coastal and its adjacent mountain regions have the largest amount of annual precipitation which is over 1,500 mm (60 inches).

So, a little math here: in one month we'll get half of the country's annual rainfall? That's just peachy.

But wait, there's more! According to Nations Encyclopedia,

From one to three mild typhoons normally strike the south in the early fall, with a severe one occurring every two or three years.

Rachel's reaction, minus the flash-flood of profanity, "I guess I'm not getting a bike until October."

Climate is What You Expect, Weather is What You Get

A lot of people have asked about the weather here in Mokpo... So here's a bit from the Korea Meteorological Administration:

The Republic of Korea is located in the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere and the Temperate Zone with four distinct seasons. Geographically, it lies on the east coast of the Eurasian Continent adjacent to the West Pacific.

During the winter, from December to January, it is cold and dry under the dominant influence of the Siberian air mass.

Meanwhile, the summer, from June to August, is hot and humid with frequent heavy rainfalls associated with the East-Asian Monsoon, locally called "Changma".

The weather in korea is mild and serene during spring and fall, with fairly periodic passages of the transient high and low pressure systems.

Oh... and by the way: it is freakin' snowing out there! Rachel is bouncing off the walls and the dog is pretty confused. Good times!

(As always... click the picture for the large version.)