Early Summer Cauldron Heat Intensifies... Daegu and Others Record Highest Early June Temperatures Ever

Continued Inland Heat... Strong Rain in Jeju and Southern Regions from Afternoon

On the afternoon of the 11th, as the scorching heat continued, citizens near Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul shielded themselves from the sun using various belongings such as bags, parasols, fans, and document envelopes. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Bong-ju] Since early summer this year, scorching heat has been rampant.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 12th, many places across the country, including Daegu, Jeonju, and Sejong, consecutively broke the record for the highest daily temperature in early June (1st to 10th).

In Daegu, the highest temperature on the 9th rose to 37.0 degrees Celsius, breaking the previous record of 36.3 degrees set on June 5, 1987, for the first time in 33 years.

On the same day, Jeonju soared to 35.1 degrees Celsius, surpassing the previous record of 33.7 degrees on June 5, 2004, taking first place, and Changwon also exceeded its previous record of 32.1 degrees on June 6, 2000, by 0.8 degrees, reaching 32.9 degrees.

Gwangju recorded its highest temperature of 33.7 degrees on the 8th, matching the record set on June 7, 2001.

Additionally, Yeongwol reached 35.7 degrees (10th), Seosan 33.2 degrees (10th), Andong 35.7 degrees (9th), Sangju 35.0 degrees (9th), Gunsan 33.9 degrees (9th), Gochang 33.0 degrees (9th), Suncheon 32.0 degrees (5th), Hongseong 32.7 degrees (9th), Taebaek 34.9 degrees (9th), Sejong 33.2 degrees (9th), and Geoje 32.2 degrees (9th), all surpassing their previous highest temperature records.

While the early summer heatwave is rampant mainly in the southern regions, Seoul has not yet broken its highest temperature record. The highest temperature recorded in Seoul in early June is 34.9 degrees on June 10, 2015.

In 2018, when the hottest heatwave in 111 years was recorded, the monsoon season ended early, leading to a sweltering heatwave. This year, however, the early heat arrived in early June before the monsoon season.

However, starting midweek, rain began falling from Jeju, preventing the heat from continuing for long.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted on the 12th that from the afternoon, a heavy rain cloud band would move in from the southwest, bringing heavy rain to Jeju Island, the southern regions, and nearby central regions over the weekend.

After the monsoon season ends, the heatwave is expected to intensify.

Earlier, the Korea Meteorological Administration predicted in the '2020 Summer Outlook' released on the 22nd of last month that the peak of the heatwave would be from late July to mid-August.

The summer temperatures from June to August are expected to be 0.5 to 1.5 degrees higher than the average (23.6 degrees) and 0.5 to 1 degree higher than last year (24.1 degrees). The number of days with heatwaves exceeding 33 degrees is expected to be 20 to 25 days, about twice the average (9.8 days) and last year's (13.3 days).

A Korea Meteorological Administration official stated, "It will be hot during the day throughout the summer, and during the peak period, the heatwave will intensify, with a possibility of heatwaves from mid-August. However, compared to 2018, the heatwave will be somewhat milder."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.