Korean Expat Community for National Disasters

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The heat set in as May began, and it has largely persisted since then. After April's unpredictable weather, I thought things would finally settle down, but that wasn't the case. While the heat has been more consistent this month, it's still not easy to predict. The weather keeps shifting in ways that make it hard to plan around.

What I've felt most acutely this month is the daily temperature swing. There have been several days where it was cool enough in the morning to require a light jacket, only to become uncomfortably hot by the afternoon. That kind of daily swing is more tiring than just being hot all day. If it were consistently hot, at least I'd know how to dress. But when the temperature swings 10–15 degrees between morning and evening, you end up overdressed or underdressed for half the day regardless of what you choose.

Nighttime temperatures have also risen, so I've started sleeping with the air conditioner on. That's not something I normally do until mid-June. Usually, I just leave the window open and set the fan to low, but this month there have been quite a few nights when that wasn't enough.

The rain has also been noticeable. When it comes, it pours heavily for hours at a time. There were quite a few days when the temperature dropped sharply after a downpour. It was a welcome relief after the heat, but the drop was so sudden that it took some getting used to. The pattern of sweating through the afternoon, only to pull out a jacket again the next day after heavy rain, repeated itself throughout the month.

It made me think about what May used to be like — a month that's neither hot nor cold, generally clear and dry, where you can spend all day outside without worrying about the weather. That kind of May didn't exist this year.

A few things have changed in my daily life as well. I find myself checking the weather app much more often than before. There have been several days this month when I went out without checking and ended up unprepared. Even on hot days, I've started packing a light jacket in my bag, because when it rains, the temperature can drop sharply within an hour. It may seem like a small thing, but the fact that I'm thinking this much about it in May says something.

Looking back at March, April, and now May, a consistent pattern has emerged. Every month has been hotter than usual, harder to predict, and marked by more intense weather events — torrential rain, sudden temperature swings — than what's normal for this time of year.