Week 10: Extreme Weather

South Korea experiences a wide array of extreme weather phenomena, with the most severe manifestations being sweltering heat waves and biting cold. In the scorching summer of last year, The Times reported a tragic toll: 11 human lives lost and over 250,000 livestock perished due to the extreme heat that gripped South Korea, coinciding with record-breaking temperatures spreading across the Asian continent. Remarkably, July's soaring temperatures followed the hottest June on record, resulting in a staggering four times the average number of heatwave days. This spring has also presented challenges for South Korea, as the weather has shifted towards the colder side.

Chinburyong, a mountain pass located in
Inje-gun, Gangwon Province, March 16.

Recently, South Korea felt the sharp bite of a spring chill, plunging temperatures to a bone-chilling -28° F in March. The Korea Meteorological Association (KMA) noted that this sudden dip in temperatures was accompanied by extreme weather events triggered by a polar low—a brief yet powerful and compact low-pressure system that forms when frigid air from the Arctic sweeps over comparatively warm ocean waters. The emergence of a polar low leads to a cascade of chaotic weather, including heavy snowfall or torrential rain, fierce winds, and even thunder and lightning, striking areas in close proximity to the low-pressure system.





        Amur adonis flowers are seen blooming in ice at Inje-gun, Gangwon Province on March 12.



Sources:

Comments

  1. Julian SierraApril 10, 2025 at 12:31 PM

    Hey Mallory, I really enjoyed reading your blog for this week. I wanted to say that I completely agree that the intense heatwaves and surprising cold spells, such as the polar low event, demonstrate how unpredictable and hazardous our climate has turned. Adding specific data and recent occurrences made the post more entertaining too.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mahmoud AlwasilaApril 13, 2025 at 4:12 PM

    Mallory, this was a good blog I enjoyed reading it. The part about 250,000 livestock dying was honestly shocking; I didn’t know the impact stretched that far beyond just people. I also didn’t realize that South Korea had experienced both the hottest June and such a cold spring within a short time frame. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ana GGApril 14, 2025 at 1:09 PM

    Interesting read!-what would those mitigation measures you'd suggest be?

    ReplyDelete

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