Monsoon comes to abruptly quick end in southern areas of Korea

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Monsoon comes to abruptly quick end in southern areas of Korea

Published: 03 Jul. 2025, 16:46 Updated: 03 Jul. 2025, 18:02

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A sprinkler truck sprays water on a road in front of the Pohang International Exhibition & Convention Center (POEX) in Pohang, North Gyeongsang on July 3. [NEWS1]

Korea's monsoon came to an unexpectedly quick end in the southern regions of the country — including Jeju and other areas of the peninsula — according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Thursday.

“As the North Pacific high-pressure system expanded to cover the Korean Peninsula, Jeju escaped the influence of the stationary front on June 26, and the southern regions on Tuesday,” said KMA forecast analyst Gong Sang-min during a briefing Thursday.

However, no end to the monsoon was declared for central South Korea, as there remains the possibility of influence from the stationary front located northwest of North Korea.

The end of the monsoon in Jeju and the southern regions is among the earliest on record.

For Jeju, it marks the earliest end to the monsoon since nationwide weather monitoring began in 1973, surpassing the previous record of July 1, 1994. In the southern regions, it is the second-earliest on record after June 30, 1973.

As a result, heat waves typical of early August have already begun in Jeju and the southern regions. The KMA forecast that from Thursday to Saturday, temperatures could rise to 37 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) in East Coast areas, such as Gangneung and Samcheok in Gangwon, as well as in southeastern cities like Hapcheon, Miryang and Changnyeong.

A forecast researcher explains weather information related to the heat advisories issued for most of the country at the Korea Meteorological Administration's metropolitan office in Suwon, Gyeonggi on July 3. [YONHAP]

“In most parts of the country, the apparent temperature will exceed 33 degrees Celsius, and in inland central areas, the East Coast of Gangwon, the southern regions and eastern Jeju, it will hover around 35 degrees Celsius, so people should take care of their health,” the KMA warned.

Typically, heat waves begin in late July when the North Pacific high pushes the stationary front northward, marking the end of the monsoon. Under strong high pressure for nearly a month, the Korean Peninsula accumulates heat, causing temperatures to peak in August.

This year, a detached North Pacific high has completely enveloped the country, and the influx of hot, humid southwesterly winds is driving up both humidity and temperature. As a result, heat waves and tropical nights are expected to continue for the time being.

As heat advisories remain in effect for Seoul and other capital area cities, daytime highs this weekend are expected to be around 31 degrees Celsius.

Citizens cross a street near Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul in the rain on June 16. [NEWS1]

On Friday, 5 to 20 millimeters (0.19 to 0.78 inches) of rain is expected in some parts of the capital region and inland Gangwon, with generally overcast skies expected in the coming days.

In central regions, another round of rain is forecast for Monday in the capital and inland Gangwon, but after that, the likelihood of rain is very low, suggesting that the monsoon may soon be declared over in these areas as well.

Meanwhile, the early expansion of the North Pacific high has brought deadly heat to Japan. Since the start of Japan’s monsoon season in mid-June, heat waves have swept across the archipelago, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius and resulting in fatalities from heatstroke.

Yukiko Imada, a professor of climate system research at the University of Tokyo’s Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, said in an interview with the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that the primary cause of the extreme heat was linked to the unseasonal expansion of the Pacific high-pressure system over the Japanese archipelago.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG EUN-HYE [[email protected]]