July Cooler Than June, First Ever Recorded Reversal Phenomenon Occurs

Average 22.7 Degrees, 0.1 Degree Lower Than June

On the 9th, when the monsoon rain continued nationwide, officials were working on debris removal at Jamsu Bridge in Seoul. / Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Hyun-joo] The average temperature in July this year was recorded to be lower than that of June. This is the first time since weather observations began in 1973 that July has been a 'less hot' summer month compared to June.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 13th, the average temperature in July was 22.7°C, which is 0.1°C lower than the June average of 22.8°C. This is attributed to the extended monsoon season making July 'not hot,' combined with an early start to summer causing June to be 'hotter.' The July average temperature was 2.0°C lower than the normal, and the number of heatwave days was 0.1 days, 3.8 days fewer than usual. Due to continuous rain, tropical nights occurred for 0.1 days, which is 2.2 days less than the average.

Provided by Korea Meteorological Administration

Precipitation increased significantly. From June 1 to August 10, nationwide rainfall totaled 879.0 mm, exceeding the normal range of 470.6 to 604.0 mm, marking the second highest record ever. The number of rainy days during this period was 37.8 days, tying with 1998 for the longest duration of precipitation.

This series of abnormal phenomena is explained by climate change trends. From January to June this year, the average temperature in Siberia was more than 5°C higher than normal, and in June alone, it was over 10°C higher. This accelerated the melting of Arctic sea ice, causing cold air that had been lingering over the ocean to move southward around Korea. Consequently, a high-pressure blocking system with a 'stationary characteristic' formed over the Ural Mountains and the East Siberian region. As the blocking system developed, one branch of the cold air moved toward Korea and met the stationary front formed at the edge of the North Pacific High during summer, resulting in prolonged heavy rainfall.

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