Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

This month’s topic is the autumn monsoon. It’s been raining so often lately, hasn’t it? Even though it’s autumn, the rain keeps falling for days, and many of you might be wondering if this really feels like autumn at all. Over the past month, the Seoul metropolitan area recorded 382 millimeters of rainfall that’s about four times the seasonal average, and the highest amount since 1973. No wonder people have started calling it the “autumn monsoon.” Experts say this unusual weather is caused by the North Pacific High. Normally, its influence weakens in September, but this year, it lingered over the Korean Peninsula well into mid-October. As a result, warm, humid air from the south collided with cold air from the north, creating large, persistent rain clouds. According to a research team from Ewha Womans University, since 1998, early-autumn rainfall has increased by more than 40% compared to earlier decades. Some researchers now suggest that the period from mid-September to mid-October should be regarded as a kind of “autumn rainy season.” Jeju Island is showing an even more unusual pattern. In October, it experienced tropical nights, with nighttime temperatures staying above 25 degrees Celsius the first time this has ever been recorded. It almost feels like summer just doesn’t want to end. Other experts point out that “the high sea-surface temperatures in the North Pacific, caused by global warming, are unlikely to subside anytime soon.” They also warn that “if these high-temperature conditions persist for the next few years, we may continue to see late and prolonged autumn monsoons like this one.” It’s another clear sign that climate change is becoming more pronounced. The boundaries between seasons are blurring, and the weather patterns we once took for granted are shifting. The term “extreme weather” no longer feels distant it has become part of our everyday lives. Today, we talked about the autumn monsoon. This long stretch of rain and temperature swings reminds us that these changes are no longer temporary. It feels like a good time for all of us to pay a little more attention to what’s happening to our climate. See you next time.