South Korea records record high average summer temperature
During the period from June to August, the average temperature in Korea was 25.6 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than the average for the same period every year.
South Korea recorded its highest average summer temperature since records began about five decades ago, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on September 5.
According to the KMA, during the period from June to August, the average temperature in Korea was 25.6 degrees Celsius, 1.9 degrees Celsius higher than the average for the same period every year.
This is the highest figure since 1973, when KMA set up monitoring stations to collect data.
The KMA added that since mid-June this year, temperatures have been higher than in previous years, even during the monsoon season when temperatures usually drop.
KMA head Jang Dong Un said that climate change is changing weather patterns in Korea, so the KMA will strengthen its ability to monitor and analyze unusual weather conditions.
According to Mr. Jang Dong Un, heavy rains during the monsoon season and prolonged heat waves and tropical nights have significantly affected the lives of Korean people.
KMA statistics show that South Korea experienced its longest tropical night streak ever, with an average of 20.2 nights during the June-August period, three times the previously recorded average of 6.5 days.
Tropical nights are nights with a minimum temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Seoul, a capital of about 10 million people, has recorded 39 consecutive tropical nights this summer, much higher than the previous record of 26 days.
Much of the world is experiencing a blisteringly hot summer. In July, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that humanity was facing a “heat pandemic” and called for action to limit the impact of heat waves caused by climate change.
The European Union's (EU) Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) said the average global temperature from July 2023 to June 2024 was the highest ever recorded.
According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the number of days with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the world's largest capitals has increased by 52% over the past 30 years.
Scientists say that frequent heat waves are a manifestation of global warming caused by climate change.