This Spring's Weather Was the Hottest in 49 Years

National Average Temperature 13.2°C, 1.3°C Above Normal
Clear and Warm South Winds Frequently Raise Temperatures
Spring Sunshine Duration 755 Hours, 2nd Highest on Record
India, Spain, USA Also Experience Abnormal Heat

On the 26th, citizens are enjoying their time in the fully bloomed canola flower field at the Sky Garden of Incheon Airport. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] This spring's weather was the hottest since weather observation networks began in 1973.

On the 7th, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced that the average temperature nationwide from March to May was 13.2 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees higher than the normal period (1991?2020).

This is the highest average temperature for the same period since 1973, and it tied with 1998; however, according to KMA guidelines that prioritize the most recent year when ranking, it was ranked first.

The average maximum temperature this spring was 19.6 degrees Celsius, 1.5 degrees higher than normal, marking the highest on record. The minimum temperature was 7.0 degrees Celsius, 1.0 degree higher than normal, ranking fifth highest historically.

The unusually hot weather was due to a continental high pressure system rapidly changing into a migratory high pressure system over central China, resulting in many clear days with strong sunlight.

In fact, the sunshine duration this spring was 755 hours, the second highest on record. It was 109.8 hours longer than the normal (645.2 hours) and 89.2 hours longer than last year (665.8 hours).

The migratory high pressure system positioned southeast of Korea also contributed to higher temperatures by frequently bringing warm southern winds. In springs as hot as this year, such as in 1998 and 2016, high pressure systems developed to the east or southeast of Korea, bringing warm southern winds frequently.

During March 11?13 and April 10?12, when the migratory high pressure system moved slowly southeast of Korea, the highest daily average temperatures for each month were consecutively broken for three days.

Except for 1998, the years with the highest spring average temperatures due to warming are all concentrated after 2000. The spring average temperature in 1973 was 11.6 degrees Celsius, but it has risen by 1.6 degrees over 49 years.

This spring's precipitation was 154.9 mm, less than the normal range (222.1?268.4 mm), ranking sixth lowest on record. The number of rainy days was 17.9, the third lowest historically.

Among these, May's precipitation was 5.8 mm, a record low, 96.3 mm less than the normal (102.1 mm). The number of rainy days in May was 3.3 days, 5.4 days fewer than the normal (8.7 days), the lowest ever recorded.

The KMA explained, "Due to dry conditions in the upper atmosphere and the passage of low pressure systems north or south of Korea, along with the absence of convergence zones (areas where air gathers) around the low pressure systems, precipitation was low, and both the number of rainy days and relative humidity were low."

Abnormal high temperature phenomena occurred not only in Korea but also worldwide. On March 18, the temperature at the Vostok Station in Antarctica reached -17.7 degrees Celsius, far above the March average temperature (-53 degrees Celsius), marking the highest temperature since observations began. In central and northwestern India, the average maximum temperatures in April rose to 37.78 degrees Celsius and 35.9 degrees Celsius respectively, breaking 121-year records. In Uttar Pradesh, India, the temperature soared to 47.4 degrees Celsius on April 29.

Park Kwang-seok, head of the KMA, said, "Last spring, high temperature phenomena occurred not only in Korea but also globally in countries such as India, Pakistan, and Spain. Especially in May, with dry atmospheric conditions and the lowest precipitation on record, efforts to respond to disasters are urgently needed."

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