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Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Why meteorologists warn summer could be Korea's hottest yet
Seoul hit 37.1 C Tuesday, its hottest July day since 1908 South Korea is on track to experience one of the most intense summer heat waves in recorded history, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius. After heat wave advisories were upgraded to warnings in most parts of the country from Monday morning, Seoul saw temperatures reach as high as 37.1 C on Tuesday, the highest July temperature since national data collection began in 1908. Cities such as Gwangmyeong and Paju in Gyeonggi Province also saw daytime highs of 40 C on Tuesday. While both cities saw temperatures exceed 40 C in August last year, it was the first time such high temperatures were recorded in July, according to data from the Korea Meteorological Administration. Heat wave warnings in Korea are issued when the highest apparent temperature is expected to exceed 35 C for two or more consecutive days. While Tuesday and Wednesday were forecast by the KMA to be among the hottest days in recent weeks, news of exceptionally high temperatures is nothing new. According to a monthly climate report released by the KMA on July 3, the nationwide average temperature in June reached 22.9 C — the highest since the figure was first recorded in 1973. June's average temperature surpassed the previous all-time high of 22.7 C set just last year. 'Korea is seeing heat waves a lot earlier than usual this year, due to southwesterly winds bringing warm air to the peninsula. These winds, fueled by a high-pressure system, continue to bring in an influx of hot and humid air, resulting in widespread, prolonged heat waves and tropical nights,' KMA official Woo Jin-kyu told The Korea Herald. Woo added that this year's monsoon season was 'rather dry.' 'The monsoon season arrived earlier than usual this year and is also predicted to end a lot earlier than previous years,' said Woo. As monsoon season was officially declared to have ended on July 3, the KMA announced that it was the second-shortest monsoon on record. 'The rain this year was largely ineffective in bringing down average temperatures. After some initial downpours, the rest of the season remained largely dry with only light showers.' Meteorologists say the shortened monsoon season could mean even longer and more intense heat waves than last summer, noting that the timeline for extreme heat appears to have shifted forward by a month. 'In 2018, which is recorded as one of the hottest summers on record, Korea also saw an early end to the monsoon season, followed by unprecedented heat. The weather patterns observed up until now are very similar to those observed in 2018,' meteorologist Gong Sang-min told The Korea Herald. In 2018, temperatures in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, reached as high as 41 C, while Seoul saw temperatures of up to 39.6 C. The national average number of heat wave days totaled 31, which remains the highest to date. 'With weather records in terms of high temperatures already broken, we cannot rule out the possibility of temperatures exceeding 40 C again,' Gong added. 'The early end to the monsoon season only raises the likelihood of prolonged summer heat.'
Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Why meteorologists warn this summer could be the hottest one yet
Seoul hit 37.1 C Tuesday, its hottest July day since 1908 South Korea is on track to experience one of the most intense summer heat waves in recorded history, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could soar beyond 40 degrees Celsius. After heat wave advisories were upgraded to warnings in most parts of the country from Monday morning, Seoul saw temperatures reach as high as 37.1 C on Tuesday, the highest July temperature since national records were first taken in 1908. Heat wave warnings in Korea are issued when the highest apparent temperature is expected to exceed 35 C for two or more consecutive days. While Tuesday and Wednesday were forecast by the Korea Meteorological Administration to be among the hottest summer days in recent weeks, news of exceptionally high temperatures is nothing new. According to a monthly climate report released by the KMA on July 3, the nationwide average temperatures in June also reached as high as 22.9 C — the highest since national records were first taken in 1973. June's average temperatures surpassed the previous all-time high of 22.7 C set just last year. 'Korea is seeing heat waves a lot earlier than usual this year, due to southwesterly winds bringing in warm air to the peninsula. These winds, fueled by a high-pressure system, continue to bring in an influx of hot and humid air, resulting in widespread, prolonged heat waves and tropical nights,' KMA official Woo Jin-kyu told The Korea Herald. Woo added that this year's monsoon season was 'rather dry' this year. 'The monsoon season arrived earlier than usual this year and is also predicted to end a lot earlier than previous years,' said Woo. As monsoon season was declared to have officially ended on July 3, the KMA announced that it ended with the second shortest duration on record. 'The rain this year was largely ineffective in bringing down average temperatures. After initial downpours, the rest of the season remained dry with light showers.' Meteorologists say the shortened monsoon season could mean even longer and more intense heat waves than last summer, noting that the timeline for extreme heat appears to have shifted forward by a month. 'In 2018, which is recorded as one of the hottest summers on record, Korea also saw an early end to the monsoon season, followed by unprecedented heat. The weather patterns observed up until now are extremely similar to those observed in 2018,' meteorologist Gong Sang-min told The Korea Herald. In 2018, temperatures in Hongcheon, Gangwon Province, reached as high as 41 C, while Seoul saw temperatures of up to 39.6 C. The national average number of heat wave days totaled 31, remaining the highest to date. 'With weather records in terms of high temperatures already broken, we cannot rule out the possibility of high temperatures surpassing 40 C again,' Gong added. 'The early end to the monsoon season only raises the likelihood of prolonged summer heat.'
Korea Herald
03-03-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Heavy snow, rain sweep Korea with more wintry weather ahead
Close to 50 centimeters of snow fall overnight in mountainous regions of Gangwon Province South Korea was hit by heavy rain and snow from Sunday night to Monday, causing travel disruptions and safety concerns, with more snow and rain forecast nationwide starting Tuesday morning. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, heavy snow was observed overnight in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and the Chungcheong provinces. Monday's heavy snowfall resulted in several accidents nationwide, though no injuries or deaths have been reported as of 11 a.m. Four reports were made to officials regarding stranded vehicles, where 10 were rescued. Eleven traffic accidents were also reported and 51 additional safety reports were made to officials regarding accumulated snow. As of 11 a.m., 53 ferry services have been canceled and 10 flights remain grounded. 13 national parks currently remain closed to the public while 13 roads have also prevented cars from passing through to prevent further safety incidents. Much of Gangwon Province saw accumulated snowfall of 10 to 30 centimeters, while eastern parts of Gyeongggi Province, North Chungcheong Province and northern parts of North Gyeongsang Province saw 5 to 15 cm of accumulated snow. Mountainous regions in Gangwon Province were hit the heaviest, as some regions reported up to 49.6 cm of accumulated snow as of 6 a.m., Monday. Some mountainous regions in North Gyeongsang Province also saw heavy snow, with Uljin-gun and Mungyeong receiving 24 cm and 15.6 cm, respectively. In places where snowfall wasn't observed, rain was recorded instead, as Seoul saw 22 millimeters of rain while Hwaseong in Gyeonggi Province and Chungju in North Chungcheong Province saw around 35 mm of rain, respectively. In mountainous regions in Jeju Island, up to 82 mm of accumulated rainfall was also recorded as of 6 a.m., Monday. As of 11 a.m., Monday, heavy snow advisories, which were focused around central parts of Korea, were lifted in most regions, excluding North Gyeongsang Province and Ulsan, which saw 1 cm of hourly snowfall as of press time. In Korea, a heavy snow advisory is issued when snowfall is expected to reach above 5 cm within 24 hours to brace for possible accidents and disruptions. However, according to the KMA, rain clouds are expected to form and move toward the Korean peninsula again from Tuesday morning. 'As cold air moves toward the Korean peninsula and the low pressure system approaches (Korea) from the south, rain clouds are expected to form, leading to nationwide rain,' told KMA official Woo Jin-kyu during a press briefing held Sunday. Woo added that heavy rainfall or snowfall can be expected to be focused around the central and southern parts of Korea, with mountainous regions in Gangwon Province, North Gyeongsang Province and Jeju Island expecting to see accumulated rainfall of up to 40 mm on Tuesday. Cities such as Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and Ulsan may see up to 30 mm of accumulated rainfall, while southern parts of Gyeonggi Province as well as Incheon and Seoul can expect to see accumulated rainfall ranging between 5 mm to 10 mm. Depending on temperature conditions, rain clouds also have a chance of turning into snow clouds, as mountainous regions in Gangwon Province can expect to see up to 10 cm to 30 cm of accumulated snow while Seoul and Incheon can expect to see up to 5 cm of accumulated snowfall. The precipitation is expected to stop as the low pressure system moves toward Kyushu, Japan on Tuesday night. However, as cold air is brought into mountainous parts of Gangwon Province by northeasterly winds, heavily hit regions can expect to see as much as 100 cm of snow until Wednesday. Though Korea recorded of seeing warmer than average temperatures in recent days, the KMA added that a sharp drop in temperatures can also be expected starting Tuesday, as cold air moves into the peninsula from the north. On Tuesday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 4 degrees Celsius to 4 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 2 C to 9 C. Cold temperatures are expected to continue throughout the week, with winds of 55 to 70 kilometers per hour dropping wind chill temperatures significantly compared to actual temperatures.
Korea Herald
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Temperatures to warm up from next week
Though this week's cold temperatures are expected to remain throughout the weekend, the Korea Meteorological Administration explained that nationwide temperatures are expected to get warmer from next Tuesday, signaling the coming arrival of spring. Changes will be felt beginning Feb. 24, when warmer westerly winds blowing into the Korean Peninsula. On this day, temperatures are expected to reach as low as minus 5 C in the morning and as high as 12 C during the day, which will still be considered cold compared to average temperatures from previous years. From Feb. 25, temperatures will begin to increase steadily, with both morning and daytime temperatures expected to reach above freezing from Feb. 27. On the 27th, daytime temperatures are expected to reach as high as 14 C. When asked whether the increase in temperatures signals the official start of spring, KMA official Woo Jin-kyu stated during a press briefing that although temperatures are expected to be higher than average next week, it's not possible to say that the cold is completely over as there 'could be temporary cold spells in the future.' The KMA defines the start of spring as the first day in which the average daily temperature rises by more than 5 C and doesn't fall back down for nine days. The average here is calculated based on weather records from the last 10 years. Considering temperature records taken between 2011 and 2020, the average start of spring was Feb. 27. Before the expected warm-up, cold temperatures will persist through the weekend. 'The cold weather will continue through the weekend as cold northwesterly winds continue to blow into the Korean Peninsula under the influence of the continental high pressure system," KMA official Gong Sang-min, Friday, explained. On Friday, South Korea saw nationwide morning lows range between minus 12 degrees Celsius and minus 1 C, while nationwide daytime temperatures ranged between 0 C to 7 C. As of 9 a.m., Friday, a cold wave watch has been issued in northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province as well as North and South Chungcheong Provinces while a cold wave warning was issued in northern and eastern parts of Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province. In South Korea, a cold wave warning is issued when morning lows are forecast to dip to below minus 15 C for two consecutive days, while a cold wave watch is issued when low temperatures are expected to stay below minus 12 C. On Saturday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 12 C and minus 1 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 7 C. Sunday's temperatures will also be similar to temperatures from the previous day, as morning temperatures are expected to hover around minus 12 C to minus 3 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 6 C. The KMA added that the North and South Jeolla Provinces and Jeju Island can expect to see up to 5 centimeters of snow over the weekend.
