Extreme heat in Korea...lowest rainfall in 46years
- 6 years ago
타들어가는 한반도...올여름 강수량 최저치
This has been quite the Summer for Korea.
The mercury spiking to record level is nothing new.
Other than being the hottest on record, it's also been one of the driest.
The hardest hit are farmers and consumers, as the conditions damaged crops and jacked up prices of agricultural goods.
Han Soo-ah has the full story.
Rainfall this month was the lowest recorded in 46 years.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average cumulative precipitation in the country between July 12th and August 11th was just 32.9 millimeters-- 10 percent of the average rainfall for this period.
Jeju Island saw the least rainfall with just 4.8 millimeters. Seoul received 12.2 millimeters, which is just 3 percent of the average rainfall for this period. Gangwon-do Province saw the most rainfall with 266 millimeters.
The heatwaves and drought have brought serious damage to the local farming industry. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the heatwave this year killed more than five million livestock, a 35 percent increase on last summer.
More than 2000 hectares of crops, or 3000 soccer fields of crops were also damaged by the heat.
The damage has pushed up the prices of agricultural goods. Data from the Korea Consumer Agency shows vegetable prices have jumped more than 50% compared to the last month. The price of major marine products has also surged more than 30% from last year.
Last week to help mitigate the impact of the heatwave, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon instructed government ministries and public organizations to stop work at public construction sites during the daytime or delay the work for several days to avoid heat-related problems. Also, agricultural insurance programs supported by the government are working to provide compensation for crop damage.
And there's not a lot of rain in the forecast for the time being as Typhoon Yagi, which was expected to bring rain to the Korean Peninsula, has shifted course towards Shanghai.
Han Soo-ah, Arirang News.
This has been quite the Summer for Korea.
The mercury spiking to record level is nothing new.
Other than being the hottest on record, it's also been one of the driest.
The hardest hit are farmers and consumers, as the conditions damaged crops and jacked up prices of agricultural goods.
Han Soo-ah has the full story.
Rainfall this month was the lowest recorded in 46 years.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average cumulative precipitation in the country between July 12th and August 11th was just 32.9 millimeters-- 10 percent of the average rainfall for this period.
Jeju Island saw the least rainfall with just 4.8 millimeters. Seoul received 12.2 millimeters, which is just 3 percent of the average rainfall for this period. Gangwon-do Province saw the most rainfall with 266 millimeters.
The heatwaves and drought have brought serious damage to the local farming industry. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the heatwave this year killed more than five million livestock, a 35 percent increase on last summer.
More than 2000 hectares of crops, or 3000 soccer fields of crops were also damaged by the heat.
The damage has pushed up the prices of agricultural goods. Data from the Korea Consumer Agency shows vegetable prices have jumped more than 50% compared to the last month. The price of major marine products has also surged more than 30% from last year.
Last week to help mitigate the impact of the heatwave, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon instructed government ministries and public organizations to stop work at public construction sites during the daytime or delay the work for several days to avoid heat-related problems. Also, agricultural insurance programs supported by the government are working to provide compensation for crop damage.
And there's not a lot of rain in the forecast for the time being as Typhoon Yagi, which was expected to bring rain to the Korean Peninsula, has shifted course towards Shanghai.
Han Soo-ah, Arirang News.