South Korea records hottest April in half a century May 8, 2024

A woman walks past air-conditioning units outside a building in Seoul on April 30, 2024. South Korea had its hottest April since comprehensive records began in 1973, the state weather agency reported on May 7, with average daily temperatures more than 2.5 degrees higher than in previous years. AFP / Anthony Wallace

By AFP - Agence France Presse

South Korea had its hottest April since comprehensive records began in 1973, the state weather agency reported Tuesday, with average daily temperatures more than 2.5 degrees higher than in previous years.

“The highest national average temperature for April (is) 14.9 degrees Celsius (58.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in 2024,” the Korea Meteorological Administration said, adding that it was the highest recorded in April since the national weather observation network was established in 1973.

The previous record was 14.7 degrees Celsius, recorded in April 1998, the KMA said.

Average temperatures across the country in April surpassed the 1991-2020 April average of 12.1 degrees Celsius, it added.

The average daily maximum also reached a record high of 21.1 degrees, which represents an increase of 2.5 degrees compared to the average from 1991 to 2020.

April 14 saw particularly high temperatures, with the daytime mercury in metropolitan Seoul and areas of Gangwon province reaching around 30 degrees.

High pressure flows “developed over the Philippine Sea and east of Taiwan, resulting in warm southerly winds flowing into our country along the edge of the high pressure,” the KMA said in a statement.

According to the UN's World Meteorological Organization, Asia is warming faster than the global average.

In the region, large areas of South and Southeast Asia have recently suffered from a heatwave that has surpassed temperature records from Myanmar to the Philippines, with the El Nino phenomenon driving this year's sweltering weather.

In February, the chief climate negotiator at last year's COP28 said the world needs “trillions” of dollars to stimulate the green transition and combat global warming, warning that political momentum could evaporate without clear action.

The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are pressured to initiate sweeping reforms to align their lending with the Paris Agreement's goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

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