Hottest summer ever, breaking records of 1994 and 2018

This summer (from June to August) was the hottest on record, overtaking 1994 and 2018. The national average temperature and number of tropical nights were recorded as the highest. The rain poured this summer was mostly concentrated as “heavy rain” during the rainy season.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) announced in its “Climate Characteristics for Summer of 2024” report on September 5 that this summer's national average temperature (25.6 degrees Celsius), average minimum temperature (21.7 degrees Celsius), and tropical night (20.2 days) all ranked first since 1973, which became the base year for the country’s weather records as the meteorological observation network was greatly expanded nationwide that year. They surpassed the average temperature and the number of tropical nights in 1994 and 2018, which were considered the worst summers on record.
The national average temperature this summer was 25.6 degrees, 1.9 degrees higher than that of the normal year (23.7 degrees). This is the highest temperature since 1973.

As a result, the ranking of the average temperature in summer has changed. This year (25.6 degrees) was ranked No.1, followed by 2018 (25.3 degrees), 2013 (25.2 degrees), 1994 (25.1 degrees), and 2023 (24.7 degrees).

This summer, the national average number of tropical nights was 20.2 days, ranking first in all time. It is 3.1 times higher than that of the normal year (6.5 days). The number of days of heat waves was 24 days, ranking third in history­. It is 2.3 times more than that of the normal year (10.6 days). Thirty-six out of 66 major weather stations across the country saw the records for the average number of tropical nights were broken this summer. Seoul had a tropical night for 39 days. The KMA said that 10 out of 66 major weather stations nationwide saw the records for the number of heat waves broken this year.

This summer has been hot, exceeding the average temperature since mid-June. Even during the rainy season, when the temperature drops due to frequent rain, the temperatures are generally hotter than usual. This is because hot and humid air was brought into the peninsula through winds from southwest.

The water vapor in the atmosphere acted as a heat trap, keeping temperatures from dropping overnight, leading to tropical nights. Water vapor in the atmosphere played a role in holding heat, and the temperature did not drop overnight, leading to tropical nights.
From late July to late August, after the end of the rainy season, a double layer of Tibetan high pressure and North Pacific high pressure over the Korean peninsula fueled the heat. Temperatures continued to be high with a series of clear days with strong sunshine.
The national average precipitation this summer was 602.7 millimeters, which was less than that of the normal year (727.3 millimeters). This is 82.5 percent of the average year’s precipitation. Typically, about 50 percent of the summer rain falls during the rainy season, but this year, the rain was concentrated during the rainy season. Of the total summer precipitation of this year, 78.8 percent (474.8 millimeters) poured during the rainy season, which is the highest proportion since 1973. This year's rainy season began on June 19 in Jeju Island and ended simultaneously across the country on July 27. The national precipitation during the rainy season was 474.8 millimeters, 32.5 percent (118.1 millimeters) more than that of the average year (356.7 millimeters).

This summer's monsoon rains were characterized by “heavy rainfall in a small area.” On July 10, there were nine cases of one-hour precipitation exceeding 100 millimeters, including 146 millimeters of rain in an hour in Eocheongdo Island, Gunsan, North Jeolla Province.
The sea was also hot. The sea surface temperature in the waters around Korea this summer was 23.9 degrees, 1.1 degrees higher than the average of the last 10 years (between 2015 and 2024). This is also the highest in the last decade.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.