• Atmosphere
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.627-637
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• 2019

Severe and long-lasting heat waves over Korea and many regions in the Northern Hemisphere (NH) during the 2016 summer, have been attributed to global warming and atmospheric teleconnection coupled with tropical convective activities. Yet, what controls subseasonsal time scale of heat wave has not been well addressed. Here we show a critical role of two dominant boreal summer intraseasonal oscillation (BSISO) modes, denominated as BSISO1 and BSISO2, on modulating temporal structure of heat waves in the midst of similar climate background. The 2016 summer was characterized by La Nina development following decay of strong 2015/2016 El Nino. The NH circumglobal teleconnection pattern (CGT) and associated high temperature anomalies and heat waves were largely driven by convective activity over northwest India and Pakistan during summer associated with La Nina development. However, the heat wave event in Korea from late July to late August was accompanied by the phase 7~8 of 30~60-day BSISO1 characterized by convective activity over the South China Sea and Western North Pacific and anticyclonic circulation (AC) anomaly over East Asia. Although the 2010 summer had very similar climate anomalies as the 2016 summer with La Nina development and CGT, short-lasting but frequent heat waves were occurred during August associated with the phase 1~2 of 10~30-day BSISO2 characterized by convective activity over the Philippine and South China Sea and AC anomaly over East Asia. This study has an implication on importance of BSISO for better understanding mechanism and temporal structure of heat waves in Korea.