[Anchor]

Unlike the Seoul metropolitan area, Busan and the Gyeongnam region have seen only cloudy skies without any rain. This so-called dry monsoon, combined with an intense heatwave, has reached a point where people are worrying about drought during what should be the rainy season.

KNN reporter Jung Hyo-jung has the story.

[Reporter]

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

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

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

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

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

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

While the Seoul metropolitan area has seen heavy rain, enough to trigger heavy rain advisories, 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 all drying up and dying. The water supply is not what it used to be either.]

While the rainfall in Busan and Gyeongnam exceeded 200 to 300 mm during this period last year, this year it has reached only 50 to 70 mm.

The absence of rain has been replaced by a heatwave.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, with most other areas under heatwave advisories.

Unable to cool down, citizens have sought out water even within the city.

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

For the time being, the monsoon season is expected to continue with heatwaves instead of rain.

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

As the dry monsoon continues 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