[Anchor]

On the other hand, Busan and the Gyeongnam region remain cloudy with little to no rain. This phenomenon, known as a "dry monsoon," is causing growing concerns over drought due to an intense heatwave in these areas.

KNN reporter Jung Hyo-jung reports.

[Reporter]

This is Miryang Dam, which supplies drinking water to eastern Gyeongnam, including Miryang and Yangsan.

Since entering the "drought concern" stage on June 1, the water level has dropped noticeably.

The area behind me is now visible as the water level in Miryang Dam has receded.

Rocks and gravel that are usually submerged are now clearly exposed.

Despite it being the monsoon season, the soil is cracked like a turtle shell.

The current water storage rate of Miryang Dam is 35.8%, which is less than half of last year's 89.1%.

While heavy rain, enough to trigger a heavy rain advisory, fell in the Seoul metropolitan area today, Busan and Gyeongnam have not seen a single drop of rain.

[Choi Tae-wook / Yeonsan-dong, Busan: It is so hot that the trees are drying up and dying. The water supply is not as strong as it used to be.]

Compared to last year's precipitation of 200 to 300 mm in Busan and Gyeongnam, this year's rainfall has been only 50 to 70 mm.

The space left by the lack of rain has been filled by a heatwave.

Miryang and Changnyeong saw temperatures exceed 34°C (93°F), while Yangsan and Gimhae surpassed 32°C (90°F), leading to heatwave warnings. Most other areas were under heatwave advisories.

Unable to cool down, citizens sought relief from the heat even in the city center.

[Woo Seok-woo, Pyo Han-sol, Woo Yu-chan / Yangsan, Gyeongnam: The weather is so hot that we came out to water parks and splash pads to try and beat the heat.]

The forecast suggests that the monsoon season will continue to bring heatwaves instead of rain for the time being.

[Kim Jong-hoon / Forecaster at Busan Regional Meteorological Administration: We expect the heatwave to continue, with the maximum perceived temperature reaching 33°C (91°F) or higher in most parts of Busan and Gyeongnam for the time being.]

As the dry monsoon persists with less rain and more heat, the rivers and land in Busan and Gyeongnam are drying up day by day.

(Video by Jung Chang-wook, KNN)

Reported by Jung Hyo-jung, KNN