The average temperature in South Korea this year was the second highest on record, while the nation saw its third lowest level of precipitation ever.
 
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Wednesday that the average temperature across the country this year through Monday was 13-point-eight degrees Celsius, zero-point-nine degrees hotter than the usual annual average.
 
It is the second highest since the KMA began measuring nationwide temperatures in 1973.
 
The average precipitation across the country stood at 944 millimeters, only 72 percent of the usual annual level and the third lowest since records began to be compiled.
 
Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi area only saw 53 percent of the usual level of precipitation, while North Chungcheong Province had 63 percent.
 
The KMA said precipitation in the summer, including the monsoon season, was only half of the usual level, adding that the drop in precipitation was worsened by fewer typhoons than usual.
 
The weather agency predicted that the trend of high temperatures will continue next year, but that precipitation will recover to its usual level.