“The weather is a fickle thing.” From ‘record-breaking heat’ to ‘freezing’ in a week- What’s happening on Earth?

Just a week ago, we were dealing with an “unprecedented autumn heatwave,” and now, cold wave advisories are being issued across the country. It’s hard to understand what’s going on.

The weather’s whims are expected to continue for a while. According to the weather bureau, the morning temperatures on the 9th and 10th are expected to be between 37.4~59°F, and over the weekend of the 11th and 12th, the lowest temperatures are predicted to be -3~7°C (26.6~44.6°F), with the highest temperatures between 42.8~62.6°F. Citizens are perplexed by the drastic weather changes of more than 18°F within a day.

This climate change isn’t just happening in our country. While our neighbor Japan is experiencing “summer weather,” China, our other neighbor, has seen such heavy snowfall that roads have been closed.

Unusual weather is sweeping across the globe… In East Asia, short sleeves, padding, and snowfall are observed simultaneously.

Winter has begun. The nineteenth term of the four seasons, the start of winter (立冬), has passed. As the start of winter heralds the beginning of the cold season, the weather has drastically changed from the morning of the 8th, with temperatures dropping below freezing and frost falling. According to the weather bureau, the coldest morning temperature on the 8th was between 26.6~48.2°F due to cold air influx from the northwest. The sudden cold snap is expected to continue from the afternoon of the 10th due to the influence of cold air entering the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere. The morning temperatures on the 9th and 10th are expected to be between 37.4~59°F, and over the weekend of the 11th and 12th, the lowest temperatures are predicted to be -3~7°C (26.6~44.6°F), with the highest temperatures between 42.8~62.6°F. The weather bureau has warned that “the wind will blow very strongly, making the perceived temperature even lower,” and asked people to take care of their health due to the drastic temperature changes.

Citizens are perplexed by the whimsical weather changes of more than 18°F within a day. Just a few days ago, we were experiencing the “warmest November in 116 years,” and now we’re wondering why it’s suddenly so cold. November and even December’s average temperatures were predicted to be higher than usual. The sudden cold weather is believed to be due to the influence of a high-pressure system that has expanded to the northwest of the Korean Peninsula. In the northern hemisphere, when a low-pressure system forms, the wind blows counterclockwise, and when a high-pressure system forms, the wind blows clockwise. Especially when a west high-pressure system forms, the north wind blows due to the geographical characteristics of the Korean Peninsula, and the distance between the two air masses of high and low pressure is an important factor in the strength of the wind. However, this time, it is predicted that the wind will be even colder as the distance between the two air masses is closer because the low pressure did not move much to the east and the high pressure approached.

Korea is not the only one perplexed by the whimsical weather. In Japan, our neighboring country, the “summer day” with the highest temperature exceeding 77°F continues. On the 7th, the highest temperature in downtown Tokyo rose to 81.5°F, renewing the highest temperature in November in Japan for the first time in 100 years. Despite being November, the streets were filled with people wearing short sleeves and shorts. In China, where unusual high temperatures were continuing in the fall with spring flowers blooming, suddenly, heavy snowfall has caused road closures and school closures. The heavy snowfall has caused casualties, including the collapse of a school gymnasium roof. Due to the sudden cold wave and heavy snowfall, the Chinese Meteorological Administration has issued a snowfall warning for the southern part of Heilongjiang Province, the western part of Jilin Province, and the northern part of Liaoning Province until the 9th.

“We need to prepare for climate disasters” Will a Climate Energy Department be established?

The global phenomena of unusual weather are affecting crop production and prices. Looking at Korea’s consumer price trends in October, consumer prices last month rose 3.8% compared to the same period last year. The government cited the skyrocketing prices of agricultural products due to unusual weather as one of the causes of price increases. Due to heavy rain and heatwaves in the summer and drastic temperature changes in the autumn, crops could not be shipped on time.

Recently, there have been cases where local specialty festivals have been scaled down due to crop shortages caused by unusual weather. The “Miryang Ice Valley Apple Festival,” which started on the 4th, was operated on a reduced scale due to crop damage. This year, only about 30~40% of the apples that are usually harvested were harvested, indicating a poor harvest. There were only about 50 fruits on a tree that usually bears about 250 fruits. It was no different for grape farms. The cultivation situation is not good this year due to bad weather. It seems to be the same overseas. The International Wine Organization announced on the 7th that global wine production decreased by 7% compared to last year due to frost, heavy rain, drought, and other weather anomalies.

Following these trends, there are arguments that a “Climate Energy Department” should be established. At the Supreme Council held at the National Assembly on the 8th, Lee Jae-myung, the representative of the Democratic Party, proposed the establishment of a Climate Energy Department, saying, “The temperature in November rose to 86°F for the first time in 116 years, and a cold wave advisory was issued a week later. Climate disasters such as heavy rain, typhoons, and cold waves are not just problems in our country but serious issues that the world is experiencing.” The establishment of the Climate Energy Department is a policy that environmental activists and climate and energy experts have consistently argued for. As the problem of climate disasters becomes more serious, various entities such as the government, political parties, civic groups, and individuals are working to prepare countermeasures against the climate crisis.