Pedestrians hurry to work bundled in thick coats at Gwanghwamun Intersection in Seoul on Dec. 22, 2022 when a cold wave swept across the nation. Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon

In June, professor Kim Hae-dong at Keimyung University, a meteorologist, predicted that summer temperatures could exceed 40 degrees Celsius this year.

His forecast proved accurate when the temperature in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, reached 40 degrees on Aug. 4.

Now, Kim warns that this winter could bring cold waves with temperatures dropping below minus 18 degrees Celsius.

"This winter is expected to be very cold. I anticipate that it will follow a similar pattern to the winters of 2021 and 2022, where temperatures fell below minus 18 degrees. This forecast is not only mine. International organizations have made similar observations," he said in an interview with CBS.

Kim cited the recurrence of the La Nina phenomenon, which also occurred in 2021, as the primary reason for his prediction. La Nina is characterized by sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific being at least 0.5 degrees Celsius lower than the average for more than five months.

When La Nina occurs, a low-pressure system develops southeast of Japan, causing cold and dry air from the north to flow into the Korean Peninsula, which lies to the west of the Japanese archipelago.

"As we move from fall into winter this year, the likelihood of La Nina occurring is very high. If it does, the chances of a strong Arctic cold wave descending on the Korean Peninsula and North America also increase," he said.

"In 2021 and 2022, we experienced extreme cold, with temperatures dropping below minus 18 degrees in Korea. In the United States, even Texas, known for its mild climate, was hit by a cold wave that caused widespread water and power outages," he explained. "I expect this winter to be similar to those years."

A flood barrier made of sandbags is set up at an apartment complex in Seocho District, Seoul, to prepare for Typhoon Hinnamnor in early September 2022. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon

Kim also commented on the recent heavy rainfall in the southern regions of Korea, interpreting it as an extension of the "fall monsoon."

"The monsoon pattern in Korea has completely changed. We now receive more rain during this period, which coincides with the autumn monsoon, rather than during the traditional summer monsoon season," he said.

He noted that the recent situation is similar to the heavy rains that flooded Gangnam in Seoul a few years ago, but this time, it was worsened by the impact of a typhoon, resulting in rainfall levels seen only once every 200 years.

"This year, we will likely see little of what we typically associate with fall. The current high temperatures are expected to persist until at least early November, after which a sudden drop in temperatures is anticipated," he said. "As a result, it will feel as though fall barely occurred."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, a sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.