Warm Yellow Sea fuels heavy rains and storms across South Korea and beyond
South Korea's prime minister Han Seong-sook convened officials as unusually warm waters in the Yellow Sea intensify thunderstorms expected to bring over 200 mm of rain to central and northern regions this week.
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook met with senior officials to ready South Korea for an upcoming bout of intense rain, with some central and northern areas projected to receive more than 200 mm of precipitation. The severe thunderstorms originated over the western Yellow Sea, whose water temperature has risen to 29 °C—four degrees hotter than the climatological average—boosting the storms' strength as they move eastward. Over the weekend, additional thunderstorms entered the region, likely causing disruptions through Monday before easing on Tuesday.
Neighboring Thailand faces a heavy-to-very-heavy rain warning during its monsoon season, and the Philippines' Tarlac province has been placed under a state of calamity due to prolonged August rains. In the broader Pacific basin, multiple tropical disturbances, including a Category 1 hurricane near Hawaii and other systems near the Philippines and China, are being tracked for possible intensification.
Why it matters
The unusually warm sea is intensifying storms, raising flood risks for millions across several Asian countries.
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