The state weather agency on Sunday lifted heavy rain advisories for parts of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province that were hit by morning downpours.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said that as of 11 a.m., the advisories were removed for northeastern Seoul, including Nowon, Seongbuk and other counties, as well as Ganghwa Island in Incheon, west of Seoul.

It also lifted the advisory for nine regions of Gyeonggi Province, including Namyangju, Paju, Uijeongbu, Gimpo, Hanam and Guri. But Pocheon and Yeoncheon are still under the advisory.

For the five northwestern border islands, such as Yeonpyeong Island, the KMA issued advisories for both heavy rain and strong winds.

In the morning, parts of Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province were under the heavy rain advisories, which are applied to areas projected to record 60 millimeters of precipitation for three hours or more than 100 mm for 12 hours.

As the torrential rains pounded the capital in the morning, the Seoul municipality restricted citizens' access to the walking paths along Cheonggye Stream, a popular attraction that runs through downtown Seoul.

Earlier in the day, the KMA forecast downpours in parts of North Korea, calling for residents in northern regions to be careful about the possibility of a sudden increase in water levels in the Imjin and Hantan rivers near the inter-Korean border. (Yonhap)