"Like a bomb dropped"... Southern Gyeonggi residents wake up to thunder and lightning in early morning

“I can't sleep because I'm afraid of thunder at age forty.”

In the early morning hours of the 22nd, heavy rain accompanied by strong thunder and lightning poured down on southern Gyeonggi Province, and reactions from citizens awakened by the loud noise flooded social media.

Around 3 a.m. that day, bright lightning flashes and loud thunder echoed multiple times across the Suwon, Hwaseong Dongtan, and Osan areas.

On X (formerly Twitter), real-time reactions followed one after another with just a search for "thunder." One user wrote, "It's the first time I've woken up startled by the sound of thunder," while another said, "The sound of thunder and lightning was so loud it woke me up completely. It sounds like the sky is collapsing."

Posts also appeared saying "Like a bomb dropped" and "I thought those were car headlights outside, but I guess it was lightning." These were followed by accounts of pet dogs frightened by the thunder jumping onto beds, and concerns about having to go to a concert venue when morning came.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, rain is expected to fall in various parts of the central region through the morning. The expected precipitation for Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province is 5-40 mm. The meteorological agency advised caution, noting that there will be areas experiencing strong winds accompanied by thunder and lightning in regions where rain falls.

From afternoon onward, the rain is expected to turn into showers and mostly clear up by evening. The lowest temperature that morning is expected to be around 21 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs reaching 28-34 degrees, as the heat wave is set to continue.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety advises that when lightning strikes, people should take shelter in safe places such as buildings or vehicles, and outdoors, avoid areas beneath trees or utility poles.