Unusual sudden downpours expected

[Anchor]

As the intense heat begins, there is a sense of unease in our hearts.

This is because we recall recent memories of 'disasters'.

Especially with sudden downpours that are difficult to predict, the intensity of such "sudden downpours" are expected to be more severe this summer.

First, we have meteorologist Kim Se-hyun.

[Report]

Strong red rain clouds suddenly appear in various inland areas.

Due to a large amount of water vapor and high temperatures, the rain clouds developed rapidly.

Heavy rain exceeding 30mm per hour poured down.

The analysis from domestic researchers indicates that the sea surface temperature of the North Pacific is behind these localized summer sudden downpours.

Typically, the sea surface temperature of the North Pacific fluctuates in long cycles, and when the temperature in the central region is higher than average, the sea surface temperature around Korea also rises.

As the temperature difference decreases, the jet streams in the upper atmosphere that create large rain clouds weaken.

On the other hand, a lot of water vapor is generated in the lower atmosphere, leading to more frequent localized heavy downpours in Korea.

[Cha Dong-hyun/Professor, Department of Urban Environmental Engineering, Ulsan Institute of Science and Technology: "The thermal instability in the lower atmosphere is quite strong, so it’s like a sudden downpour in a narrow subtropical area..."]

This phenomenon has been ongoing since 2019, and as of last month, the temperature in the central North Pacific remains higher than average.

As a result, there is a possibility of localized sudden downpour this summer as well.

It is pointed out that this type of heavy rain is particularly difficult to predict, necessitating improvements in weather forecasting models and other preparations.

This is KBS News, Kim Se-hyun.