South Korea's Gyeongnam province is facing a heat disaster with temperatures reaching 41.6 °C [1] in Yangsan this week.
The extreme weather threatens the Korean Peninsula as a lack of monsoon rain creates drought-like conditions that may soon intensify in the Seoul metropolitan area.
In Yangsan, officials recorded temperatures over 41 °C for two consecutive days for the first time in history [2]. Nearby cities of Gimhae and Changwon also exceeded 40 °C for the first time in their regional records [3]. This heat is being driven by a double high-pressure system over the peninsula and hot winds crossing mountain ranges.
Geography has played a role in the crisis, as basin terrain traps heat in the region. This effect is compounded by a failing monsoon season that has left the soil dry. Cumulative precipitation in Gyeongnam over the past month reached only 21.9% of the average [4].
This represents the lowest precipitation level recorded in 53 years [5]. Oh Jae-ho said that almost no rain fell during the monsoon, which normally provides the soil moisture necessary to mitigate extreme heat [6].
Local authorities are monitoring the situation as the heatwave expands. The combination of record-breaking temperatures and a historic lack of rainfall has shifted the regional climate into a state of disaster, with the Seoul metropolitan area now identified as a zone of particular concern [7].
“Yangsan recorded temperatures over 41 °C for two consecutive days for the first time in history.”
The convergence of a double high-pressure system and a historic 53-year rainfall low suggests a breakdown in the typical monsoon cooling cycle. This creates a feedback loop where dry soil increases surface temperatures, potentially extending the duration and intensity of the heatwave as it moves toward the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area.
