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Busan, South Korea's second city and largest port, sits on the southeastern coast of the peninsula where it meets the Korea Strait, at approximately 35.18°N, 129.08°E. It has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa/Cfa) with four seasons, but its southern, coastal position makes it considerably milder in winter and more moderate year-round than inland Seoul, with the surrounding sea tempering the extremes.
Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid and rainy, with August the hottest month — average highs around 29°C — though sea breezes off the strait make the coast a little more bearable than inland cities, and its famous beaches draw crowds. The monsoon rains of late June and July bring the bulk of the season's precipitation, and Busan, on the exposed south coast, is the part of Korea most likely to be struck by late-summer typhoons.
Winter, from December to February, is cool and dry but notably mild for Korea, with January the coldest month — average highs around 8–10°C and lows near or just above freezing, so the temperature only rarely drops far below zero. The moderating sea keeps hard frost and heavy snow uncommon — Busan averages only around five days of snow a year, the fewest of Korea's major cities — and winters are often dry and sunny.
Busan is one of the wetter major Korean cities, receiving around 1,370–1,570 mm of rain a year, concentrated in the summer monsoon and with notable rain in spring and autumn too; typhoons can add heavy late-summer downpours. Winter is comparatively dry. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Busan's coastal, southern position is the defining influence on its weather: the Korea Strait keeps its winters the mildest of Korea's big cities and moderates its summer heat with sea breezes. The trade-off is its exposure to typhoons, which most often strike the south coast between July and September, occasionally bringing destructive wind, storm surge and torrential rain to the port city.
To follow any single measurement in Busan more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.