S. Korea experiences hottest spring, lowest precipitation in May

South Korea recorded the highest average temperature for March to May and saw the lowest precipitation levels in May, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration Tuesday.

The national average temperature for the period this year was 13.2 degrees Celsius, 1.3 degrees higher than last year. This was the highest temperature for the period since record-keeping began in 1973.

The balmy weather was brought about by a migratory atmospheric pressure from China and warm southerly winds, the KMA said, as well as a migratory anticyclone that continued to lull in the southeast region of the Korean Peninsula.

The data also showed that nationwide average precipitation last month reached a historic low of 5.8 millimeters. Relative humidity, at 57 percent, also marked the lowest amount. The administration, in a press release, attributed the phenomenon to pressure ridges that were forged in China and the neighboring Siberian regions, “causing the low pressure atmosphere to pass straight through South Korea.”

Abnormal weather events have been widespread across the globe this spring. Northwest and central India broke its highest temperature record in April for the first time in 121 years, according to the India Meteorological Department. The northern state of Uttar Pradesh sweltered through a scorching record-breaking 47.4 degrees Celsius the same month.

”Abnormally high temperatures were seen all around the world this spring, including India, Pakistan, and Spain. May is generally when the atmosphere is dry, so efforts to effectively respond to natural disasters are urgently needed to prevent future damage,” said KMA chief Park Kwang-seok.

By Lee Yoon-seo (yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com)