This year's first typhoon 'Wutip' has occurred. Due to its weak intensity and the forecast that it will make landfall in China, it is expected that there will be no direct impact from the typhoon on Korea. However, due to the influence of a stationary front formed south of Jeju, rain is expected to begin in Jeju Island from the 12th. This will be the first rainy season for Jeju this year.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 11th, Typhoon Wutip (WUTIP, submitted by Macau, meaning 'butterfly') formed over the sea between Vietnam's Da Nang and the Philippines at 9 a.m. on that day. The naming of typhoons is based on names submitted in advance by 14 countries in the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), with names assigned in order each time a typhoon occurs.
Wutip has been recorded as the fifth latest first typhoon to form. Typically, an average of 2 to 3 typhoons occur by May.
Wutip is expected to slowly move northwest and make landfall in southern China around the 13th, after passing through Hainan Province. The intensity of the typhoon is forecasted to be weak. Gong Sang-min, a forecasting analyst at the Korea Meteorological Administration, noted, "The ocean heat capacity, which is the energy supply source for the typhoon, is low, so even if it makes landfall in China, it will only develop to a maximum of 'Category 2' (maximum wind speed of 25 to 32 m/s) and will likely dissipate around the 15th or 16th as it moves inland.
Although there will be no direct impact from the typhoon on Korea, the rainy season is expected to start in Jeju Island from the next day, the 12th, due to the influence of the stationary front located south of Jeju. The average start date for the rainy season in Jeju is June 19, so if this expectation holds true, it will start a week earlier than usual.
Heavy rain of 20 to 60 mm (with some areas receiving up to 80 mm) is expected in Jeju on the 13th. On Saturday, the 14th, rainfall is expected to expand to most regions nationwide, with heavy rain in Jeju and the southern areas potentially leading to a heavy rain advisory.
Rain is also expected to continue after Sunday, the 15th. The analyst explained, "If the moisture remaining after the typhoon dissipates flows into our country, there is a possibility of heavy precipitation," adding that while it currently looks like rain will fall mainly in Jeju and the southern regions (Jeollanam-do and Gyeongsangnam-do), the situation could vary significantly depending on weather conditions.
Although the rainy season has been declared in the Jeju region, it is still difficult to predict when the rainy season will begin in the southern and central regions. The average start dates for the rainy season in those regions are June 23 and June 25, respectively. Last year, the rainy season began on June 22 in the southern region and on June 29 in the central region, lasting for 36 days and 29 days, respectively.
For the time being, there will be significant temperature differences between day and night. After the 12th, humid and warm air will rise into Korea, increasing humidity, which may lead to a higher feels-like temperature. Morning temperatures on the weekend of the 14th and 15th are forecasted to be between 19 and 22 degrees Celsius, while daytime temperatures are expected to range from 23 to 28 degrees. Beginning next week, daytime temperatures will rise further to between 25 and 31 degrees.