A scene in Seoul, South Korea. (File photograph used for illustrative functions solely.) | Photograph credit score: AP
“South Korea recorded its highest common summer season temperature since data started half a century in the past,” the climate company mentioned on Thursday (September 5, 2024), practically two levels larger than the historic common.
“From June to August, the common temperature throughout the nation was 25.6 levels Celsius (78.08 Fahrenheit),” the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) mentioned.
“That is the best determine for the reason that company arrange nationwide commentary posts to gather such knowledge in 1973 and is 1.9 levels larger than the historic common for the summer season interval,” it mentioned.
“Since mid-June, temperatures have remained larger than in earlier years, even through the monsoon season when temperatures historically drop,” the KMA mentioned.
KMA chief Jang Dong-un mentioned local weather change was altering South Korea’s climate patterns. “Now we have skilled heavy rains through the monsoon season and the extended heatwave and tropical nights brought about important discomfort and injury to the inhabitants,” Jang mentioned.
“As local weather change is altering our nation’s climatic traits, the Korea Meteorological Administration will work arduous to strengthen its capabilities in monitoring and analyzing irregular climate circumstances.”
A lot of the world is enduring a scorching summer season, and United Nations Secretary-Normal Antonio Guterres warned in July that humanity is affected by an “epidemic of utmost warmth” and known as for motion to restrict the impacts of warmth waves intensified by local weather change.
South Korea experiences longest interval of tropical nights
“South Korea additionally skilled its longest interval of tropical nights on report, averaging 20.2 days for the June-August interval, triple the earlier common of 6.5 days,” the KMA mentioned in a press launch.
The phenomenon of “tropical nights” refers to nights when the temperature doesn’t drop under 25 °C. “With a continuing inflow of heat and humid air carried by southwesterly winds, tropical nights occurred with none drop in nighttime temperatures,” the KMA mentioned.
Seoul, the capital of about 10 million folks, broke its earlier report and skilled 39 consecutive tropical nights this summer season, far surpassing the earlier excessive of 26 days.
The European Copernicus Local weather Change Service reported that the common world temperature between July 2023 and June 2024 was the best ever recorded.
In response to the Worldwide Institute for Atmosphere and Improvement (IIED), the variety of days with temperatures reaching 35°C on the planet’s largest capitals has elevated by 52% over the previous 30 years.
Scientists stress that frequent warmth waves are an indicator of worldwide warming, pushed by local weather change.
Final week, South Korea’s Constitutional Court docket dominated that lots of the nation’s local weather objectives have been unconstitutional, handing a historic victory to younger environmental activists and forcing the federal government to assessment its local weather targets.
The plaintiffs had argued that except Seoul moved extra shortly on local weather objectives, future generations wouldn’t solely need to stay in a degraded setting however would additionally need to bear the burden of enterprise huge greenhouse gasoline reductions.
This, relying on the case, would imply that the State has violated its responsibility to guard their elementary rights.
Revealed – September 05, 2024 11:26 am IST
