Latest news with #GongSang-min
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Straits Times
Monsoon season to start early on Jeju Island from June 12
This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. ST PHOTO: ALBERT WAI JEJU - Jeju Island is expected to witness the start of this year's monsoon season on June 12 , with the rain expanding northward until June 14 , according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on June 11 . On the morning of June 12 , rain is expected to fall on Jeju Island due to a stationary front situated south of the region. According to the KMA, the front formed under the influence of Typhoon Utip, the first typhoon of the summer, as it moved northward along the western coast of the Philippines toward southern parts of China. The state weather agency expects the North Pacific high-pressure system to expand westward, pushing the stationary front northward to trigger Jeju Island's first monsoonal rains of the season. This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19 on average. If weather conditions persist, this year's monsoonal rains will come a week earlier than usual and would mark the third-earliest monsoon season on record, trailing only 2020 and 2011's June 10 and matching 1998's June 12. On June 12 , the stationary front is expected to move eastward, while hot and humid air from the east of the Philippines will flow into the Korean Peninsula along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system. This will bring heavy rains of up to 60mm to Jeju Island, and up to 40 mm of rain to South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province. Rain clouds will also expand toward North Jeolla Province and southern parts of North Gyeongsang Province by late morning, bringing close to 5 to 20 mm of rain. By the afternoon, North Chungcheong Province as well as northern parts of North Gyeongsang Province can also expect to see rain, ranging between 5 and 10 mm. The KMA added that rain clouds will spread to most regions nationwide, including the Greater Seoul region and Gangwon Province, by June 13 , before clearing up later that night. Despite widespread rainfall, KMA meteorologist Gong Sang-min added that this week's rain is unlikely to mark the official start of monsoon season for other parts of Korea aside from Jeju Island. This is because rain must be triggered by a stationary front to be considered monsoonal rain, not simply from other systems. Though subject to change, heavy rainfall is also expected to fall nationwide from June 15 to June 16 , due to a clash between humid air flowing in from the south and a cold air mass moving down from the north. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Climate
- Korea Herald
1st monsoon rain to fall over Jeju Island on Thursday
Jeju Island is expected to witness the start of this year's monsoon on Thursday, with the rain expanding northward until Saturday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Wednesday. Starting early Thursday, rain is expected on Jeju Island due to a stationary front situated south of the region. According to the KMA, the front formed under the influence of Typhoon Utip, the first typhoon of the summer, as it moved northward along the western coast of the Philippines toward southern parts of China. The state weather agency expects the North Pacific high-pressure system to expand westward, pushing the stationary front northward to trigger Jeju Island's first monsoon rain of the season. This year's monsoon season is projected to have an earlier start, with Jeju Island normally seeing monsoon rain around June 19, on average. If weather conditions persist, this year's monsoon rain will come a week earlier than usual and would mark the third earliest monsoon season on record, following records set in 2020 and 2011 on June 10 and in 1998 on June 12. On Thursday, the stationary front is expected to move eastward, while hot and humid air from the east of the Philippines will flow into the Korean Peninsula along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system. This will bring heavy rain of up to 60 millimeters to Jeju, and up to 40 mm of rain to South Jeolla Province and South Gyeongsang Province. Rain clouds will also expand toward North Jeolla Province and the southern parts of North Gyeongsang Province by late morning, bringing close to 5 to 20 mm of rain. By the afternoon, North Chungcheong Province as well as northern parts of North Gyeongsang Province can also expect to see rain, ranging between 5 to 10 mm. The KMA added that rain clouds will spread to most regions nationwide, including the greater Seoul region and Gangwon Province, by Friday, before clearing up later that night. Despite widespread rainfall, KMA meteorologist Gong Sang-min added that this week's rain is unlikely to mark the official start of monsoon season for other parts of Korea other than Jeju. This is because rain must be triggered by a stationary front to be considered monsoon rain, not simply from other systems. Though subject to changes, heavy rainfall is also expected to fall nationwide from Sunday to Monday, due to the clash between humid air flowing in from the south and a cold air mass moving down from the north.
Korea Herald
24-02-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
What's behind S. Korea's unusually long cold waves this winter?
South Korea experienced record-breaking snowfall and freezing temperatures this winter, with Korea Meteorological Administration data showing longer cold wave periods than usual. According to the KMA, many parts of Korea saw cold waves as short as six days and as long as eight days or more this winter. This weather phenomenon deviated from Korea's typical cold wave pattern, where winter temperatures usually follow a cycle of three cold days followed by four relatively warmer days. The first cold wave warning of the year was observed on Jan. 8. From January to February, there were three periods when Seoul recorded below-average temperatures for more than three days. Between Jan. 7 and 12, Seoul saw temperatures drop as low as minus 10 degrees Celsius, which was well below previous years' recorded average of minus 2 C. Seoul also saw an eight-day cold wave period from Feb. 3, when morning wind chill temperatures as low as minus 19 C were also observed on Feb. 4. Another cold wave period began on Feb. 17, forecast to last eight days through Monday. This change in cold weather periods was also observed in southern parts of the country where winter temperatures are relatively warmer. In Busan, average temperatures as low as minus 4 C were observed for seven days from Jan. 7 to 13. In Gwangju, temperatures 6 C lower than average temperatures were observed for six days and eight days, respectively, between Jan. 7 to 12 and Feb. 3 to 10. KMA official Gong Sang-min explained to The Korea Herald that this winter's unusually long cold waves were caused by atmospheric blocking, a phenomenon occurring when a high-pressure system blocks the normal west-to-east flow of weather systems. 'For winters in Korea to observe both cold and relatively warm temperatures, the low-pressure system must hover around the northern parts of the Korean Peninsula while the high-pressure system hovers around the southern parts,' Gong explained. 'However, the high-pressure system and the low-pressure system were mostly observed in the west and east of the Korean peninsula this winter, trapping the cold air above Korea for a number of days.' According to the KMA, this weather phenomenon was expected to continue nationwide through Monday, with nationwide morning lows ranging between minus 12 C and minus 2 C, and daytime temperatures between 3 C and 8 C. The atmospheric pressure systems are expected to shift from Tuesday, with temperatures closer to previous averages. Daytime temperatures nationwide are expected to reach 7 C on Tuesday and increase further starting Thursday. Through the weekend, average nationwide daytime temperatures are estimated to reach as high as 13 C.
Korea Herald
21-02-2025
- Climate
- Korea Herald
Temperatures to warm up from next week
Though this week's cold temperatures are expected to remain throughout the weekend, the Korea Meteorological Administration explained that nationwide temperatures are expected to get warmer from next Tuesday, signaling the coming arrival of spring. Changes will be felt beginning Feb. 24, when warmer westerly winds blowing into the Korean Peninsula. On this day, temperatures are expected to reach as low as minus 5 C in the morning and as high as 12 C during the day, which will still be considered cold compared to average temperatures from previous years. From Feb. 25, temperatures will begin to increase steadily, with both morning and daytime temperatures expected to reach above freezing from Feb. 27. On the 27th, daytime temperatures are expected to reach as high as 14 C. When asked whether the increase in temperatures signals the official start of spring, KMA official Woo Jin-kyu stated during a press briefing that although temperatures are expected to be higher than average next week, it's not possible to say that the cold is completely over as there 'could be temporary cold spells in the future.' The KMA defines the start of spring as the first day in which the average daily temperature rises by more than 5 C and doesn't fall back down for nine days. The average here is calculated based on weather records from the last 10 years. Considering temperature records taken between 2011 and 2020, the average start of spring was Feb. 27. Before the expected warm-up, cold temperatures will persist through the weekend. 'The cold weather will continue through the weekend as cold northwesterly winds continue to blow into the Korean Peninsula under the influence of the continental high pressure system," KMA official Gong Sang-min, Friday, explained. On Friday, South Korea saw nationwide morning lows range between minus 12 degrees Celsius and minus 1 C, while nationwide daytime temperatures ranged between 0 C to 7 C. As of 9 a.m., Friday, a cold wave watch has been issued in northern and eastern parts of Gyeonggi Province as well as North and South Chungcheong Provinces while a cold wave warning was issued in northern and eastern parts of Gangwon Province and North Gyeongsang Province. In South Korea, a cold wave warning is issued when morning lows are forecast to dip to below minus 15 C for two consecutive days, while a cold wave watch is issued when low temperatures are expected to stay below minus 12 C. On Saturday, morning lows are expected to range between minus 12 C and minus 1 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 7 C. Sunday's temperatures will also be similar to temperatures from the previous day, as morning temperatures are expected to hover around minus 12 C to minus 3 C, while daytime temperatures are expected to range between 0 C and 6 C. The KMA added that the North and South Jeolla Provinces and Jeju Island can expect to see up to 5 centimeters of snow over the weekend.
