The Earliest Blooming Spring Flowers in History... March Temperatures Warmest in 48 Years

Average March Temperature Hits 8.9°C, Highest in 48 Years
Record-Breaking March Low and High Temperatures Achieved
Cherry Blossoms Bloom on March 24, Earliest Since Records Began

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] The temperature in March this year was the highest in 48 years. Spring flowers bloomed the earliest in 99 years since observations began.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 6th, March this year was influenced by a warm migratory high-pressure system, resulting in an average nationwide temperature of 8.9 degrees Celsius, the highest since 1973. This is significantly higher compared to the second and third highest March temperatures recorded in 2018 (8.1 degrees) and 2020 (7.9 degrees).

The highest and lowest temperatures in March were also the highest this year. The highest temperature was 14.9 degrees Celsius, 3.1 degrees higher than the average, and the lowest temperature was 3.4 degrees Celsius, 2.8 degrees warmer than usual.

This year, cherry blossoms bloomed on March 24, the earliest since observations began in 1922, and 17 days earlier than the average year.

The Korea Meteorological Administration explained, "After March 24, the nationwide average temperature showed a rising trend above 10 degrees Celsius, and on the 26th and 31st, high-temperature phenomena with maximum temperatures exceeding 20 degrees Celsius were observed."

The reason for the significantly higher March temperatures compared to the average was the weakened strength of the Siberian high-pressure system. A strong polar vortex and jet stream formed in high-latitude regions, trapping cold air in the Arctic. The polar vortex is a low-pressure mass centered around the Arctic region where cold air remains stagnant.

Additionally, the high sea surface temperature in the tropical western Pacific maintained active upward air currents, which contributed to the development of high pressure over the Korean Peninsula, further raising March temperatures.

Due to frequent rain in March, precipitation was about twice the average at 109.2 mm. This was the fourth highest March precipitation since 1973. In particular, on Samiljeol (March 1), a low-pressure system passed over Korea, bringing heavy snow and rain nationwide. In the Yeongdong region, heavy snowfall caused vehicles to become stranded on roads and facilities to collapse, resulting in significant damage.

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