Seoul Issues Flood Warnings for Gangseo, Eunpyeong, and Mapo; Heavy Rain Advisory Lifted but Rain Continues

Flooding and Landslide Alerts Issued

Traffic Restricted on Several Roads

120 Rain-Related Incidents Reported; Emergency Operations at Phase 2

Up to 300mm of Rain Expected by Tomorrow; City Remains on Alert

Overnight heavy rainfall across Seoul has triggered flood warnings in Gangseo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Mapo-gu. Traffic is currently restricted on four roads, including Eastern Arterial Road and under Haengju 1st Bridge. Although the heavy rain advisory has been lifted, rain is expected to continue through July 19, 2026.

According to Seoul Metropolitan Government on the morning of July 18, due to overnight torrential rainfall, a flood warning was issued in Gangseo-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, and Mapo-gu as of 7:30 a.m. that morning. Flood advisories were also issued for Mapo-gu and Yangcheon-gu.

Photo of a flood warning in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

A flood warning is issued when rainfall exceeds 50mm per hour or 90mm over three hours, while a flood advisory is declared if more than 55mm falls per hour or 20mm is recorded within just 15 minutes.

As water levels rose due to heavy rain during the early morning, the Han River Flood Control Center issued a flood alert at 4:50 a.m. at the Neobudae Bridge point on Mokgamcheon in Seoul and notified residents to prepare for potential flooding in at-risk areas.

Eunpyeong-gu and Dobong-gu each issued a landslide advisory and a landslide pre-warning, respectively. Mapo-gu also banned access to forested areas and urged residents to watch for signs of impending landslides.

At around 5:37 a.m., during the rain warning, the water level in Jungnangcheon rose, prompting the complete shutdown of all lanes on the Eastern Arterial Road (from Surak Underpass to Seongsu JC). At about 6:53 a.m., a vehicle fire inside Yongma Tunnel in Jungnang-gu led to a full closure of traffic within the tunnel.

The city of Seoul reported a total of 120 rain-related incidents received, including 89 drainage support requests, four fallen trees, and 27 facility safety emergencies.

As of 7:30 a.m. on July 18, 29 rivers and streams within Seoul were under restriction, and four roads—below Jeungsan Bridge, under Haengju 1st Bridge, Eastern Arterial Road, and Garam-gil—remained closed. Twenty rainwater pump stations were operating partially as part of flood control efforts.

An official notice was sent to all departments and affiliated organizations within Seoul Metropolitan Government to strictly manage safety in response to the heavy rainfall. The message was also communicated via text message and social networking services (SNS).

Once the heavy rain advisory was issued, the city activated Phase 2 of emergency operations at 3:40 a.m. on July 18. They stepped up monitoring by inspecting vulnerable areas such as waterways, low-lying regions, and drainage wells, and maintained contact systems with care workers and community partners.

The Korea Meteorological Administration first issued a heavy rain advisory across Seoul at 1:00 a.m. on July 18. Then, at 3:40 a.m., it escalated the warning level to a heavy rain warning for southwestern and northwestern Seoul, which was lifted at 7:30 a.m. on the same day.

Heavy rain advisories and warnings are issued when rainfall is predicted to exceed 60mm or 90mm within three hours, or 110mm and 180mm, respectively, within 12 hours.

Of all the districts in Seoul, Eunpyeong-gu recorded the highest rainfall, with a maximum precipitation of 166.0mm between July 17 and July 18. Seodaemun-gu experienced a torrential downpour, reaching up to 64.5mm per hour at its peak.

Rain in Seoul is forecast to continue through July 19, 2026. The expected total precipitation for Seoul over the three days starting July 17 is between 100 and 200mm, with some places likely to receive more than 300mm.

Seoul Metropolitan Government stated, "The heavy rain advisory was lifted as the intense rain clouds quickly moved east and weakened," adding, "We will maintain strict management of the heavy rainfall situation and emergency response systems, and respond thoroughly to any developments."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.