Heavy rain pummels northern region of North Korea: state media

In this frame grab from video released by North Korea's Korean Central Television, the state-run broadcaster reports that North Hamgyong Province received more than 50 millimeters of rain an hour. Yonhap

Heavy rain battered northern parts of North Korea on Wednesday, the North's state-run broadcaster said, after the country's eastern province was hit with torrential rain earlier this month.

The northeastern province of North Hamgyong received more than 100 millimeters of rain from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., with some cities and counties recording up to 50 mm of rainfall per hour, the Korean Central Television reported.

Hwadae County in the province received 209 mm of rain from midnight to 8 a.m., with 123 mm pounding the region within just three hours from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m.

"It is difficult to see through the rain and secure clear vision even under 30 millimeters of rainfall ... we are in a very dangerous situation as such heavy rain has pounded the area for three straight hours," it said.

The North has issued a warning in the area as heavy rain is expected to continue until Thursday, according to the broadcaster.

North Korea's state media earlier reported that about 1,170 homes were destroyed or flooded, and some 5,000 residents were evacuated as up to 307 mm of rain fell in South Hamgyong Province between Aug. 1-2.

North Korea has recently ramped up calls for flood prevention efforts not to repeat the devastation caused by back-to-back typhoons last summer in major farming areas, which aggravated the country's already serious food shortages. (Yonhap)