Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
Unprecedented heat wave likely to hit Korea this summer
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By Jun Ji-hye
By Jun Ji-hye
A scorching heat wave is likely to hit the Korean Peninsula this summer beginning next month, the state weather agency forecast on Friday. The possibility of unprecedented heat is due to high-pressure systems and the return of a stronger El Nino.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the probability of higher temperatures than average in mid-June and late June stood at 40 percent and 50 percent, respectively.
The figures are compared to the probability of lower-than-average temperatures during the cited periods, which stood at only 20 percent and 10 percent, respectively.
The weather agency attributed the hotter summer to an eastern Pacific subtropical anticyclone affecting the peninsula.
The return of El Nino ― as its cooler counterpart La Nina retreats ― is also expected to contribute to the increased likelihood of an unprecedented heat wave during summer.
El Nino events start with the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean and occur in cycles of about three to five years.
The phenomenon creates a domino effect of warmer temperatures and more intense weather events across the globe.
While many scientists have warned that climate change could increase the frequency and strength of the El Nino phenomenon, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ― the scientific and regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce ― forecast a strong El Nino event in the coming months, pointing out that ocean temperatures have already hit record highs this year.
Previously, El Nino events in Korea affected warmer temperatures than average in November and December. But it would be different this year, as the El Nino climate pattern is predicted to begin earlier than in previous years. This is raising the possibility of the phenomenon affecting summer days.
The weather agency said it is closely monitoring the effects of the new El Nino cycle.