Summer heat in South Korea forecast to stretch into September

SEOUL – South Korea’s heatwave alerts, in place nationwide for weeks, are expected to stretch into September, with a 60 per cent chance temperatures will remain above the historical average, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

As at Aug 25, of the 183 regions nationwide, 182 had seen heatwave alerts issued, as average nationwide apparent temperatures for the day reached 37 deg C as at 2pm.

Of the 182 regions that saw heatwave alerts, 133 were under heatwave warnings, and 49 were under advisories.

In South Korea, a heatwave advisory is issued when the maximum apparent temperatures are forecast to exceed 33 deg C for at least two consecutive days, and a warning is issued when the maximum apparent temperature is forecast to exceed 35 deg C.

According to the KMA, temperatures were recently driven up by the hot and humid North Pacific high-pressure system and the hot and dry Tibetan high-pressure system dominating the atmosphere over the peninsula.

With such atmospheric conditions expected to last for the next few weeks, the heat is forecast to last at least into September ,said the state weather agency.

According to the KMA’s one-month outlook, it predicted that the first week of September carries a 50 per cent probability of seeing temperatures higher than the historical average, with more than a 30 per cent chance of seeing abnormally hot temperatures.

The chance of seeing higher-than-average temperatures in the second week of September is estimated at 60 per cent, while the third and fourth weeks each carry a 50 per cent likelihood.

The KMA added that there is also a 40 per cent chance that above-average temperatures will last into October, as the high sea surface temperatures in the tropical western Pacific reinforce the circulation of high-pressure systems over the Korean peninsula.

Though a warmer-than-usual October does not necessarily mean that summer-like temperatures will last well into autumn, there is a slight chance that fall weather patterns will be affected by higher-than-average temperatures.

Warmer-than-average temperatures may also be observed in November, with an estimated chance of 40 per cent. But the KMA added that such predictions are subject to change depending on the development of the La Nina phenomenon and the reduction rate of sea ice in the Barents-Kara Sea.

Meanwhile, the KMA forecast heavy rain through Aug 26 across the central region – including the Greater Seoul area, Gangwon province, and North and South Chungcheong provinces – with 30mm to 80mm expected and up to 100mm in Incheon and northern parts of Gyeonggi province.

Other parts of the country, such as North and South Chungcheong provinces, can expect rain ranging between 20mm and 60mm, while the southern parts of the country, including Busan and Jeju Island, may receive between 5mm and 30mm.

Although two days of rain could bring temperatures down slightly, the KMA stated that the drop in temperatures will not be enough to end the heatwave alerts. When the rain stops on Aug 27, humidity levels will begin to rise, raising apparent temperatures, it said. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK