2024 recorded as S. Korea's hottest year since 1973
Climate change impacts were 'keenly felt' in 2024: KMA administrator
South Korea's nationwide average temperatures reached up to 14.5 degrees Celsius in 2024, making it the warmest year since 1973, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration's annual climate report released Tuesday.
According to the KMA's report, Korea saw 103.6 abnormally warm days based on daily low records and 76.7 abnormally warm days based on daily high records. Abnormally warm days, as defined by the KMA, refer to a day when daily low and high temperatures fall within the top 10 percent of historical averages for that time of year.
The average summer temperature was 25.6 C, marking summer 2024 the hottest since 1973. Based on average summer temperature records, it was also 1.9 C higher compared to previous years. A high number of tropical nights – referring to overnight temperatures remaining at or above 25 C from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day – were also observed at 20.2 days, which was 3.1 times higher than previous years.
Summer also lasted much longer in 2024, with abnormally warm temperatures recorded into September. That month, Korea saw 19.7 abnormally warm days based on daily lows, while 16.9 abnormally warm days were observed based on daily highs. During the Chuseok holiday, or Korea's mid-autumn festival, all parts of Seoul were put under a heat wave warning, the latest warning ever issued in the capital city since the heat warning system was introduced in 2008.
Such findings regarding abnormally warm temperatures were not just made by Korea's weather agency. The World Meteorological Organization also commented on its recently published report, 'Significant Weather and Climate Events 2024,' stating, 'South Korea experienced the hottest summer in 2024.'
Prolonged high temperatures, triggering heat waves and tropical nights, also caused great damage to crops, as up to 3,477 hectares of farmland and 17,732 hectares of rice paddies were damaged. By region, the most severely affected areas were the North and South Jeolla provinces and South Chungcheong Province, with reported damages of up to 3,098 hectares, 9,261 hectares and 2,979 hectares, respectively.
Additionally, up to 3,704 cases of heat-related illnesses were also reported from May 20 to September 30, a 31.4 percent increase compared to the reports made in 2023.
Due to high temperatures, the surrounding seas of Korea were also unusually warm.
The average sea surface temperature in 2024 reached 17.8 C in Korea, the highest it has been in the past 10 years from 2015 to 2024. Additionally, the number of days that saw abnormally high sea temperatures was recorded at 182.1 days, which was 3.6 times higher than the 10-year average of 50.4 days.
Such high sea surface temperatures prolonged into winter, triggering heavy snowfall in November as cold air passed over unusually warm waters of the West Sea. In November 2024, unusually heavy snowfall was observed, particularly focused in the Greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province, with some regions seeing accumulated snowfall of up to 40 centimeters over three days.
According to the KMA, the number of heat wave days has generally increased while the number of cold wave days has decreased, observing climate records between 1973 and 2024.
With 2024 being Korea's hottest year, KMA Administrator Chang Dong-eon regarded last year as a year when the impacts of 'climate change were keenly felt.'
'The KMA will continue to accurately analyze the scientific causes of climate change and extreme weather patterns to provide timely information to government agencies, industries and the public to safeguard the people's lives and their safety,' Chang continued.
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