[Anchor]

The scorching heatwave has been driven by the hot and humid North Pacific high-pressure system. Starting tomorrow (the 28th), however, the Tibetan high-pressure system will also join in. These double high-pressure systems will blanket the Korean Peninsula, potentially prolonging the heatwave.

Reporter Jeong Gu-hui breaks down the details.

[Reporter]

The upper reaches of Unmun Dam, which supplies tap water to Daegu, have run dry, leaving only overgrown weeds.

The water storage rate at Unmun Dam has dropped to 27.9%, which is half of the typical year's level, entering the severe drought stage.

This is because the amount of rainfall during this year's monsoon season was not large, and a massive amount of water is evaporating due to the extreme heatwave.

The particularly high temperatures in the Yeongnam region are due to hot southwesterly winds blowing along the edge of the North Pacific high-pressure system.

This year's monsoon season has come to an end as this hot and humid air mass, the North Pacific high, which is the main cause of the heatwave, has completely settled over the country.

The monsoon lasted for 26 days—slightly shorter than average—from July 1st to yesterday in the central region, and from June 30th to the day before yesterday in the southern region. Although it started late, it ended around the usual time, kicking off the full-scale heatwave.

The problem is that starting tomorrow, double high-pressure systems will once again blanket the Korean Peninsula.

In addition to the current North Pacific high, the Tibetan high-pressure system, which has developed from the Tibetan Plateau, will cover the upper atmosphere of our country starting tomorrow.

With the two high-pressure systems covering the Korean Peninsula like a blanket, the possibility of the heatwave easing for the time being is low.

From now until mid-August is a period when solar radiation increases, causing temperatures to rise even further.

An analysis of the highest temperatures in Seoul and Daegu over the past 30 years shows that temperatures rise even higher in early August than in late July, and extreme heatwaves continue well into mid-August.

While variables like typhoons could break up the double high-pressure systems, there is no significant rain in sight this week apart from sporadic showers, meaning extreme sweltering heat with perceived temperatures ranging from 33 to 38 degrees Celsius is expected to persist nationwide.

(Video Editing: Kim Jun-hee, Design: Choi Ha-neul, Park Jong-yeong TBC)