Autumn is near but South Korea still in sweltering heat

Though Aug 23 marks “cheoseo” – South Korea’s seasonal marker that traditionally signals the end of summer – extremely hot temperatures, accompanied by heat wave watches and tropical nights, are expected to continue into next week.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), heat wave watches were in effect in most parts of the country, excluding mountainous regions, as at 11am in South Korea on Aug 21, as nationwide apparent temperatures reached as high as 35 deg C.

Heat wave watches and warnings in South Korea are issued when the maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain above 33 deg C and 35 deg C, respectively, for two or more consecutive days.

The KMA added that the recent heat stems from the Tibetan high-pressure system expanding above the Korean peninsula while hot, humid air continues to flow into the country along the edges of the North Pacific high-pressure system.

During the press briefing on Aug 21, the KMA added that the heat will further intensify over the weekend.

The two high-pressure systems will continue to overlap above the peninsula, pushing temperatures up by an additional 1 deg C to 2 deg C.

On both Aug 23 and Aug 24, low temperatures are expected to range between 22 deg C and 28 deg C and 22 deg C and 27 deg C, respectively, while high temperatures during the day are expected to range between 31 deg C and 36 deg C on both days.

From early next week, cool air is expected to flow into the Korean peninsula from the north, colliding with the hot, humid air and eventually forming a low-pressure system.

The KMA added that rainfall is expected to fall in the central region on Aug 26 as the system moves north.

After the low-pressure system moves out, the KMA expects the high-pressure systems to regain their grip over the country.

“While numerical forecast models diverge slightly on the exact location of the North Pacific high-pressure system’s edge, most suggest it will extend over to North Korea or at least in the northern parts above the Greater Seoul region, which is normally a sign that the heat will linger for some time,” said KMA meteorologist Gong Sang-min.

Greater Seoul includes the capital, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province.

In its monthly outlook released on Aug 20, the KMA added that September temperatures are also expected to remain above seasonal norms.

For the first, third, and fourth week of September, there is a 50 per cent chance of higher-than-average temperatures, with only a 10 per cent likelihood of cooler-than-normal conditions.

In the second week, the probability of seeing above-normal temperatures rises to 60 per cent.

“Though this does not necessarily mean that heat waves will continue deep into autumn, such indicators show that breaking away from ‘warmer-than-usual’ temperatures may be difficult,” KMA official Woo Jin-kyu told The Korea Herald. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK