On the 30th, during the ongoing heatwave, a citizen walking in Dalseo District, Daegu, gives water to their exhausted pet dog in the sweltering heat. /Courtesy of News1

This June marked the start of the full-fledged summer, signaling an unusual heatwave, an early tropical night, and consecutive rainstorms.

On the 4th, the Korea Meteorological Administration released the results of an analysis of this June's climate characteristics and causes, stating that this June was recorded as the hottest June on record.

The average temperature in June was 22.9 degrees Celsius, which is 1.5 degrees higher than the average and 0.2 degrees higher than last year's previous record of 22.7 degrees, setting a new all-time high.

The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that the frequent southwestern winds caused by the high pressure located southeast of the Korean Peninsula led to many days with above-average temperatures. In particular, from the 27th to the 30th, hot and humid air flowed along the edge of the North Pacific high pressure, resulting in heatwaves and tropical nights nationwide along with strong sunlight.

This year's first tropical night began on the 8th in Gangneung, and on the 19th, the earliest tropical nights on record were observed in 12 locations, including Daejeon, Daegu, and Gwangju. Between the 29th and 30th, the average daily temperature nationwide reached the highest record for those dates, showcasing full-fledged midsummer weather. The number of heatwave days in June averaged 2.0 days, while the number of tropical night days was 0.8 days, both ranking second all-time. In Seoul, tropical nights have occurred in June for four consecutive years since 2022.

Precipitation was also above average. The total nationwide rainfall in June reached 187.4 mm, equivalent to 126.6% of the average, and the number of rainy days was 10.5 days, similar to the average (9.9 days). However, the eastern region of Gangwon saw lower precipitation than average, and a meteorological drought has persisted since late April.

This year's rainy season started earlier than average. In Jeju, it began on the 12th, while in the central and southern regions, it started on the 19th and 20th, respectively, which was 7 days, 5 to 6 days, and 3 to 4 days earlier than average. This has been attributed to active convection activities near the Philippines and the rapid expansion of the North Pacific high pressure.

The sea surface temperature around Korea in June was 19.3 degrees, which is 0.3 degrees lower than the recent 10-year average. Due to the rise in temperature, the sea surface temperature showed a gradual increase throughout June; however, the effects of the low temperatures from last spring continued, making it the third lowest in the last 10 years.

Jang Dong-eun, head of the Korea Meteorological Administration, noted, "As heatwaves and tropical nights occur nationwide from the end of June, and the sweltering heat continues, thorough preparations are necessary to prevent damage due to the heat. Meanwhile, as there is still a possibility of localized heavy rainfall during the remaining summer, the Korea Meteorological Administration will closely cooperate with disaster management agencies and do its best to quickly convey weather information to prepare in advance."