Designers paint streets of South Korea during monsoon season with incredible vibrant murals that are only visible when it's RAINING

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A team in South Korea found a way to transform miserable, rainy days into a fun, explosion of colour in the streets of Seoul.  

Using a special hydrochromatic paint, designers of Project Monsoon created the light-hearted murals to only be visible during a downpour.

Instead of their usual grey streets, residents were treated to a visual feast of multi-coloured whales, turtles and fish. 

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Raining whales and fish: The streets of Seoul were transformed by a team of designers to feature underwater scenes that were only visible when it rained

Before and after: Images of multi-coloured whales, turtles and fish converted grey roads and alleyways to feature the cheerful underwater scenes

The venture was created with the help of colour company Pantone, to help residents look forward to the monsoon season.

The rainy period can last up to three weeks long with many staying indoors to avoid the deluge. 

'Inspired by South Korea's culture of emphasising the importance of the flow of rivers, the paintings utilise Korea's topographical features that create a flow and puddle of rain water in every street to fill the streets with colour and life,' the artists wrote about their project. 

The initial images were released on augmented reality billboards to spark excitement for the street art and 'to give people something to look forward to with this year’s monsoon season.'

The project was launched earlier this year, with its creators winning a Black Pencil and a Yellow Pencil at the A&AD New Blood awards. 

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The venture was created with the help of colour company Pantone, to help residents look forward to the monsoon season

Initial images were released on augmented reality billboards to spark excitement for the street art. These showed the process that turned the paint from opaque to vibrant colours (right) featuring designs of marine life (left)

The project was inspired by South Korea's culture of emphasising the importance of the flow of rivers

The project is not the only one to dabble with the idea of street art unveiled by water.

Rainworks, a project by Seattle artist Peregrine Church, features a form of water-activated art that only becomes visible when it is raining.

Its inventor came up with the concept when he discovered superhydrophobic coating – a nanoscopic surface layer that repels water.

He claims that he was intrigued by the numerous viral videos that featured the miracle substance and believed he could create interesting patterns with light and dark contrasts on pavements.

Travelling around the streets of his native Seattle, Peregrine sprays through stencils to create motivational messages – that are initially invisible – on the ground.

He notes that Seattle is a place synonymous with rainfall and that his artwork is therefore ideal for the seaport city.

Peregrine Church has developed art that will make people's rainy days feel a whole lot better 

Peregrine sprays through stencils to create motivational messages – that are initially invisible – on the ground