Last year, the national average annual temperature reached 14.5 degrees, the highest figure recorded in 113 years of weather observation. This is 2.0 degrees higher than the norm and 0.8 degrees higher than the previous record set in 2023. An unusually high-temperature phenomenon continued until September, and the number of tropical nights recorded annually was 24.5 days, highlighting the seriousness of climate change.
The Korea Meteorological Administration released the annual climate analysis results for 2024 regarding temperature, precipitation, and other characteristics.
Last year, the national average annual temperature was 14.5 degrees, 2.0 degrees higher than the norm (12.5 degrees). It surpassed the previous record set in 2023 (13.7 degrees) by 0.8 degrees, setting the highest record in history (since 1973). This is also the highest comparing to the average annual temperature calculated from six locations across the country, including Seoul, where observation records have existed since the early 1900s.
The average temperatures were also all higher than the norm, with February, April, June, August, and September recording the all-time highest figures. In particular, high temperatures during the summer unusually continued into September, where the temperature was 24.7 degrees, showing a deviation of +4.2 degrees from the norm, the largest deviation among the twelve months. Additionally, tropical nights continued until September, resulting in an annual total of 24.5 tropical nights, approximately 3.7 times more than the norm (6.6 nights).
Key climatological factors that raised temperatures in the Korean Peninsula last year were the high sea surface temperatures, the Tibetan high-pressure system, and the development of the North Pacific high-pressure system. In fact, the sea surface temperature around the Korean Peninsula last year was 18.6 degrees, which is 1.3 degrees higher than the recent 10-year average (17.3 degrees) and the highest in a decade. Additionally, the sea surface temperatures in the North West Pacific and the Northern Indian Ocean, including the waters around the Korean Peninsula, were also elevated, strengthening the North Pacific high-pressure system and the Tibetan high-pressure system.
The annual precipitation for 2024 was 1414.6 mm, similar to the norm. However, the trends in precipitation by period showed patterns different from the norm. Generally, the precipitation in February, a usually low-rainfall period, was 102.6 mm, which is 287.0% of the norm (35.7 mm), making it the third highest ever recorded. Conversely, the rainfall in August, a high-rainfall period, was 87.3 mm, only 30.7% of the norm (282.6 mm), marking it the second lowest ever recorded. For the first time since 1973, the precipitation in February exceeded that of August. In August, the overlap of the Tibetan high-pressure and North Pacific high-pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula led to reduced rainfall, while in February, moist southerly winds flowed along the edges of the high-pressure system, leading to increased rainfall.
Summer precipitation was 602.7 mm, which is 82.5% of the norm (727.3 mm), lower than usual; however, 78.8% (474.8 mm) of the summer precipitation was concentrated during the rainy season. This is the highest percentage since 1973. During the rainy season, a large amount of moisture brought in along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system collided with cold air associated with low pressure, intensifying atmospheric instability and developing medium-scale low pressure, resulting in even heavier rainfall. During this period, nine locations recorded hourly precipitation of over 100 mm.
Korea Meteorological Administration head Jang Dong-eon noted, “Last year’s average annual temperature set a new record, and we experienced various forms of abnormal climate, including record-breaking tropical nights, heavy rainfall, and unusual heavy snowfall in November,” adding, “The Korea Meteorological Administration will prioritize protecting the safety and lives of the public from weather disasters during this climate crisis era and will strive to provide scientific analyses of the causes of climate change and relevant information.”