Heavy downpours drenched the central regions on Sunday, with up to 30 mm of rainfall per hour in the metropolitan region and South Chungcheong province inundating homes and agricultural land.

The Korea Meteorological Agency said Seoul had the most frequent rains in August this year since observations began in 1908. Seoul saw 594.2 mm of precipitation over 22 days in August, over 1.7 times more than the average of 348 mm for 1973 to 2000. The nation as a whole got 350.2 mm, some 1.4 times more than the previous average of 243.3 mm.

Buses are towed out of an inundated parking lot along the Tan Stream in Samseong-dong, Seoul on Sunday.

August registered more precipitation than June and July, the traditional wet season, combined. Some 335.5 mm of rain fell in June and July.

Seoul registered 594.2 mm of rain in August, 1.6 times more than the 366.8 mm for the previous two months combined.