Increase Weather Phenomenon Observation Points Sixfold... Provide Monthly and Average Values Too

Target locations expanded from 100 to 600
Monthly, extreme, and average value statistics added to provided data

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The scope and coverage of the weather phenomenon certification service, which courts, police stations, and insurance companies use as evidence to resolve cases, will be expanded.

On the 9th, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced that it will expand the weather phenomenon certification civil service to provide more objective information to the public.

The weather phenomenon certification service officially verifies weather observation records or the issuance of weather warnings. Last year, the number of issued weather phenomenon certifications reached 70,000, more than double the 27,000 issued in 2016.

Reflecting the issue of increasing regional disparities in weather phenomena due to climate change, the number of certification target points will be expanded from 100 to 600. The average distance between certification points will be reduced from 33 km to 13 km, making the network denser.

For example, if residents of Gageodo request weather phenomenon certification due to typhoon damage, they previously received wind speed data from Heuksando, but going forward, they will receive data from Gageodo itself, enabling more accurate verification.

The types of weather observation certifications will also increase from 2 to 5. In addition to existing hourly and daily values, monthly values, extreme values, and average values statistics will be added. This makes it easier to determine whether a phenomenon is typical compared to the past.

A 'map search service' has also been added to the civil service website. Users can check and select the observation points they need to apply for to obtain certification data for a specific region. Weather phenomenon certifications can be issued free of charge on the KMA electronic civil service website and are also available via phone, fax, mail, or in person.

Park Kwang-seok, Administrator of the Korea Meteorological Administration, said, "We hope that the expansion of the weather phenomenon certification service will help reduce the inconvenience and damage caused by weather to the public, even if only slightly," and added, "We will continue to expand the civil service to include observation data collected from local governments and public institutions."

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