KMA: Hotter months ahead

[Anchor]

With spring rain falling, the weather has been a bit cool lately, but the Korea Meteorological Administration has predicted that temperatures will be higher than average from this month until midsummer.

Is an early heatwave approaching? For a detailed weather forecast, we turn to Kim Min-kyung, our meteorology specialist.

[Report]

Since last month, when spring was still in full swing, we have experienced early summer heat.

In the Yeongnam region, daytime temperatures have exceeded 30 degrees.

After a pause due to spring rain, the early heat is expected to become more frequent starting this month on clear days.

The Korea Meteorological Administration predicts that this month's temperatures will be above average, and that temperatures in June and July will also remain above the average level throughout.

[Park Mi-young/Official, Climate Prediction Division, Korea Meteorological Administration: "Not only our country's climate prediction model but also the World Meteorological Organization predicts a high probability that temperatures in our country from May to July will be above average."]

The main cause is the hot sea.

Recently, sea surface temperatures in the tropical western Pacific, south of the Korean Peninsula, and in the Indian Ocean are about 1 degree above average.

Due to the rising currents created by the warm sea, a high-pressure system is forming near the Korean Peninsula, drawing up hot and humid southwesterly winds.

There is a high possibility that this could lead to an 'early heatwave.'

[Lee Myung-in/Director, Heatwave Research Center, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology: "Due to climate change, not only is the heatwave appearing strongly before the rainy season, but the trend of heatwaves appearing in May, which was thought to be spring, is becoming more pronounced."]

In fact, the number of heatwave days in May and June, which were rare in the past, has been rapidly increasing recently.

In particular, the average number of heatwave days in June has increased to 1.14 nationwide over the past 10 years.

The Korea Meteorological Administration reports that this month’s precipitation is likely to be lower than average, so we must also prepare for the risk of wildfires in hot and dry weather.

This is KBS News, Kim Min-kyung.