South Korea experienced its hottest April in 50 years

With 14.9°C, last month broke the previous record, which was 14.7°C in 1998, according to the national weather agency.

South Korea experienced its hottest April in half a century, with a record 14.9°C since records began in 1973, the national meteorological agency (KMA) announced on Tuesday (May 7). . The previous record temperature in April was 14.7°C in 1998. High pressure flows “developed over the Philippine Sea and east of Taiwan, bringing warm southerly winds into our country along the high pressure edge.”specifies the agency in a press release.

Last month, the mercury also exceeded the average for all April months from 1991 to 2020 which stood at 12.1°C, according to KMA. At 21.1°C, the average daily maximum for April also broke a record, exceeding this average for the years 1991 to 2020 by 2.5°C.

An exceptional heat wave is currently affecting South and Southeast Asia, where records have been broken in the Philippines and Burma, in particular. According to experts, climate change is resulting in more frequent, more intense and longer heat waves. According to the United Nations World Meteorological Organization, Asia is warming faster than the global average.

Since the 19th century, the Earth’s average temperature has warmed by 1.1°C. Scientists have established with certainty that this increase is due to human activities, which consume fossil fuels (coal, oil and gas). This warming, unprecedented in its speed, threatens the future of our societies and biodiversity. But solutions – renewable energies, sobriety, reduced meat consumption – exist. Discover our answers to your questions about the climate crisis.