Several areas in Seoul were left flooded on Monday (Aug 8) as heavy rain battered South Korea's capital, submerging vehicles and prompting evacuations.
Photos and videos circulating on social media showed flooded roads with commuters braving the rain, as well as water cascading down the steps of an underground train station.
Twitter user @evh5150 also said that there was a power outage in the Gangnam area. According to Yonhap news agency, up to 170mm of rain fell over the country's central region on Monday, including the capital area.
Seoul received 90.5mm of rain as of 8pm local time. The Dongjak district in southern Seoul also recorded 137mm of rain per hour, the worst rainfall in decades, added the report.
The Korea Meteorological Administration had earlier issued heavy rain advisories across Seoul, the western port city of Incheon, northern parts of Gyeonggi Province and northern Gangwon Province.
Yonhap said the heavy downpour caused flooding and blackouts in some regions. Residents in low-lying areas evacuated for safety while sections of subway lines were forced to stop.
The Seoul Transport Operation & Information Service said in a tweet at about 10.10pm that Yangjae-daero Road was flooded and that vehicles could not pass. A photo of the intersection showed heavy traffic congestion.
A public safety message sent to residents in Seoul at about 11.10pm local time (10.10pm Singapore time) warned of potential landslides. Those living close to forests were also advised to evacuate as a precaution.
At least eight dead in Seoul after South Korean capital suffers worst rainfall in 80 years
Floods submerge parts of South Korean capital
Eight people have died and seven others are still missing in Seoul after it was buffeted by its heaviest rainfall in 80 years.
The torrential rain on Monday evening turned some of the South Korean capital's streets into rivers and submerged subways. It also cut off power and caused landslides in and around the city.
Four of the victims drowned in flooded buildings, two died in a landslide, one person was electrocuted and another was found beneath a bus stop that had collapsed.
The authorities said that nine people in Seoul and the neighbouring Gyeonggi province were injured as a result of the extreme weather event.
The worst-hit Dongjak district received more than 140mm (5.5in) of rain in one hour on Monday night, the highest hourly amount seen in the capital since 1942.
In total, the area saw 430mm (17in) of rain between Monday and midday on Tuesday, the country's weather agency said.
The busy Gangnam district was also badly affected, with people left stranded as buildings and stations flooded.
Lim Na-kyung, a 31-year-old mother of two, compared her experiences there on Monday night to the 1997 film "Titanic".
"I had to keep going higher and higher because the building was submerging at a fast pace...I couldn't believe that I was trapped in building with 40 other people in the middle of Gangnam district," she said.
More than 750 buildings were damaged and 52 roads were blocked as a result of the floodwater, the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters said. Almost 400 people were evacuated to schools and community centres, it added.
Comment: Update August 9
The Independent reports: