Farmers and economists fret as Korea's extreme weather worsens

Social Affairs

Published: 04 Jul. 2024, 17:58 Updated: 04 Jul. 2024, 19:18

Farmers and economists fret as Korea's extreme weather worsens

People with umbrellas cross the streets at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on June 27. [YONHAP]

Meteorological experts believe Korea faces extreme weather, such as record-breaking heat and torrential rain, posing challenges to residents and potentially harming agricultural production and the economy as a whole.

Seoul's average temperature in June hit 30.1 degrees Celsius (86.18 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest June temperature since the authorities began recording summer weather 117 years ago, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA)'s weather data service portal.

The early summer heat was even hotter than typical midsummer temperatures in July and August, which averaged 29 and 30 degrees Celsius, respectively.

June saw 2.8 days with temperatures surpassing 33 degrees Celsius, the highest since nationwide weather observation began in 1973. This is almost double the 1.5 days recorded in 2018, previously considered the worst summer in history.

This unusually early heat wave is severely impacting farmers.

Farmers harvest potatoes in a field in Gangneung, Gangwon, on the morning of June 27 to avoid an afternoon heat wave. [YONHAP]

Lee Yong-hee, who runs an orchard at Goesan, North Chungcheong, saw his peach crop suffer this year. Typically, his peaches weigh about 170 grams, but this year's high temperature caused them to grow only to 130 grams, lowering their auction price.

This oppressive heat wave also led Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon, to open for the first time in late June, which usually opens in July.

"With the Northern hemisphere experiencing record high temperatures due to climate change, Korea will soon face full-fledged summer heat as high pressure rises in the North Pacific in July," said Ban Ki-seong, head of K Weather.

Ban added that Seoul might experience unprecedented sweltering heat, with temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius and the most tropical nights on record.

Tropical nights are when the minimum temperature remains at or above 25 degrees Celsius after 6 p.m. and before 9 a.m.

However, the heat wave is not the only concern for farmers. With heavy rain frequently drenching the nation, Lee now fears for his bean crops.

"My farm was flooded last year. I get an allergic reaction whenever it rains," Lee said. "I am terrified for this summer."

Heavy rain and strong winds have caused significant damage nationwide, causing power outages, flooding houses and disrupting flights.

This year, the typical pattern of a heat wave following monsoon rains has been disrupted, with scorching temperatures and heavy rain hitting the Peninsula simultaneously.

Jeju Island recorded 368.6 millimeters (14.5 inches) of precipitation from June 19 to 29, the second-highest amount since observations began 51 years ago. A torrential downpour brought 81 millimeters of rain per hour to Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo City, on Jeju Island, causing severe flooding.

Unlike the typical evenly distributed monsoon rains across the nation, recent years have seen more frequent and severe localized downpours. Extreme rainfall, where precipitation exceeds 50 millimeters per hour, has risen by about 75 percent over the past 50 years.

"As sea-level temperatures around Korea increase, atmospheric conditions become unstable, leading to more short-duration rainfall events," explained Prof. Chang Eun-chul, head of the Changma Research Center.

Families play in the water at Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon, on June 27. [YONHAP]

The combination of heat waves and heavy rainfall since early June also raises the risk of complex hazards, with forecasts indicating both will intensify this summer.

Complex hazards arise when extreme weather conditions occur sequentially or simultaneously.

The national weather agency predicts temperatures and precipitation in July and August will be similar to or above typical averages.

People might experience one area flooding from torrential rains while another swelters under a humid heat wave, making residents feel like they're trapped in a sauna.

"Our summers have already become subtropical, with temperatures surpassing those in Southeast Asia and rainfall becoming more erratic and localized," Ban said.

Humid heat waves are particularly unhealthy because they cause heat stress, which occurs when the body's way of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. High humidity makes it harder for the body to release heat.

Heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related death.

Research suggests that the number of humid heat waves will continue to surge by up to two days per decade due to global warming.

"Humid heat waves will become more intense in the future," said Ha Kyung-ja, a professor of Atmospheric Sciences at Pusan National University. Ha urged preventive measures to prepare people for the steamy heat, including outdoor workers who are vulnerable.

This severe weather also significantly influences the nation's economy through "climateflation," a portmanteau of climate and inflation.

Germany's Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research predicts that warmer temperatures and global warming will increase food item prices by up to 3.2 percentage points per year by 2035.

The impact of weather on the economy can be seen through a recent interaction between the presidential office and the head of the KMA.

The presidential office, which operates a task force to monitor the prices of key food items, recently invited the head of KMA to brief them on domestic and international climate trends, marking the first time the head attended such a meeting.

This move likely followed concerns about potential price increases for agricultural products due to this summer's record-breaking heat wave and downpours.

"We had discussions to come up with a plan to respond to structural inflation issues arising from climate change," said an official from the presidential office.

"Beyond the damage to crops, complex hazards can affect the market economy by causing shortages in the supply of agricultural products," said Jeong Su-jong, a professor at Seoul National University's Graduate School of Environmental Studies. "We need a scientific prediction and response system to reduce complex disaster damage caused by climate change."

Rain is expected to drench the nation over the weekend and the following week, with average nationwide temperatures ranging between 27 and 34 degrees Celsius.

BY CHUN KWON-PIL, JEONG EUN-HYE, PARK TAE-IN, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]