Midday temperatures have climbed above 20 degrees Celsius, pushing cherry blossom blooming about 10 days earlier than the historical average, and high temperatures are expected to continue into April. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said there is a 60% probability that April's average temperature will exceed last year's level, and the number of days with "abnormally high temperatures" — when daytime highs surpass 23 degrees Celsius — is also expected to increase.
According to the KMA, the probability that April's average temperature will exceed the normal range of 11.6 to 12.6 degrees Celsius is 60%. The likelihood that the number of abnormally high-temperature days will surpass the normal range of 1.9 to 4.0 days was forecast at 50%. The thresholds for abnormally high temperatures in April by major region are daily maximum temperatures exceeding 23.4 degrees in Seoul, 21.1 degrees in Incheon, 25.2 degrees in Gangneung, 25.0 degrees in Chuncheon, 25.1 degrees in Jeonju, 25.3 degrees in Gwangju, 26.5 degrees in Daegu, 21.9 degrees in Busan, and 22.2 degrees in Jeju.
"High sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic and reduced snow cover across Europe are strengthening high-pressure circulation near the Korean Peninsula, which could drive temperatures higher," the KMA explained. The agency also forecast a 60% probability that average temperatures in May will exceed normal levels.
Early April heat has persisted in recent years. According to the KMA, the nationwide average temperature in April 2024 reached 14.9 degrees Celsius, the highest on record. Last year's April average was 13.1 degrees Celsius, one degree above the normal of 12.1 degrees.
Last Year Was Scorching — Will This Year Be Worse?
Meteorologists say this year could become the hottest on record if El Niño — a phenomenon in which sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific rise above normal — coincides with the coming summer.
The hottest year in Korea's observation history is 2025. According to the "2025 Abnormal Climate Report" jointly published by the KMA and the Presidential Committee on Climate Crisis Response, the nationwide average temperature during last summer reached 25.7 degrees Celsius, the highest since the meteorological observation network was expanded in 1973. Record-breaking heatwave days were logged at 20 stations nationwide, including 55 days in Gumi and 45 days in Jeonju. An early expansion of the North Pacific High brought midsummer weather from late June, and temperatures rose further from late July under the influence of the Tibetan High.
The Entire Globe Is Heating Up
