▲ Rain falls on a dried-up reservoir in drought-hit Miryang, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ A farmer looks at a rice paddy as much-needed rain falls in drought-hit Miryang, about 280 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on Aug. 16, 2026. (Yonhap)

CHANGWON, South Korea, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- Heavy downpours provided relief from a prolonged drought while also causing localized damage in South Gyeongsang Province on Sunday, officials said.

Accumulated rainfall reached 125.5 millimeters in Geumnam as of 8:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Other hard-hit areas included Danseong (112 mm), Jinju (108.9 mm) and Mount Jiri (105 mm).

Heavy rainfall offered long-awaited relief to farms across the province, where declining reservoir storage levels and stunted crop growth had raised concerns.

On the other hand, local forest authorities went on high alert, with heavy downpours expected to be concentrated around mountains. The Korea Forest Service raised the landslide risk alert for the province to "caution."

The KMA warned that southern coastal areas and the Mount Jiri region could receive as much as 250 mm of additional rain by Monday.

Provincial fire services carried out 74 emergency responses Sunday, including one rescue, and 68 road and property support efforts. Incidents were concentrated along the southern coast of the province, officials said.

In Tongyeong, firefighters rescued a mobility-impaired resident trapped inside a flooded home at 6:08 p.m. At 1:32 p.m., an emergency disaster text alert was issued for parts of Sacheon after rainfall rates exceeded 50 mm per hour, though no casualties were reported.

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