열흘간 태풍 3개 줄줄이... 한반도에 계속 출몰하는 태풍, 기후 변화 탓?
With Typhoon Haishen forecast to become the fifth named tropical system to make landfall in South Korea in 2020, it breaks the record number of landfalls in the country in a single year.
An unusually long monsoon season this year followed by three typhoons in the span of less than two weeks: experts point to climate change.
Our Choi Jeong-yoon explains.
Three typhoons in less than ten days.
It was a little over a week ago when Typhoon Bavi hit the Peninsula, followed by Typhoon Maysak earlier this week.
Now another one, called Haishen, is brewing south of Japan, and is forecast to make landfall in Korea next Monday.
The series of tropical storms comes after a record-breaking monsoon that lasted 54 days, the longest in recorded Korean history.
Normally, Korea gets one or two typhoons in autumn last year there were seven.
One expert says the main reason for the increase is climate change.
"In all of South Korea's history, the weather has never been this turbulent. Climate change and global warming have changed many factors that actually generate typhoons and determine a storm's trajectory and strength."
There are largely three factors. One, the anti-cyclones in the Northern Pacific region, two, the temperature of the ocean surface surrounding the area, and lastly, the upper current that flows north of the Peninsula from west to east.
Usually in the fall, the anti-cyclone dissipates, allowing typhoons to veer toward the Japanese islands along its edge. But climate change has pushed the anti-cyclone farther west, sending typhoons toward Korea.
On the one hand, global warming has raised the temperature of the ocean, which makes typhoons stronger... because warm sea waters generate energy as they evaporate, and typhoons use that as fuel.
Higher sea levels could also cause more damage along the coast from bigger waves.
"Future typhoons need to be watched closely. Recent studies show that the enormous amount of rainfall accompanying the typhoons will bring destructive flooding and landslides."
She added that the world is feeling the climate change more acutely,... which contributes to a higher frequency of natural disasters and threatens many lives.
While prevention and recovery efforts are critical, now could be the time to take more fundamental action for the future.
Choi Jeong-yoon, Arirang News.
