The mercury soared far above 20 C across the country on the last day of last month, setting new temperature records for March, a state weather agency said Thursday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the daily highest temperature in Seoul surged to 22.9 C on Wednesday, the third highest for the month of March after 23.8 C recorded for both March 28, 2014, and March 9, 2013.

In Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, the daily high reached 23.5 C, higher than the previous March record of 23.4 C set on March 27, 2014, the KMA said.

In the central city of Seosan, the mercury surged to a daily peak of 23.4 C, breaking the previous March record of 22.8 C set on March 31, 2016, it added.

The agency said the easterly wind crossed the Taebaek mountain range and sunshine hours increased nationwide during the day under the influence of the high pressure located in the East Sea, resulting in the unseasonably high temperatures.

Inje, a border county in Gangwon Province, reported its second-highest March temperature of 22.7 C on Wednesday, while other central cities of Daejeon, Cheongju and Buyeo registered their third-highest March temperatures of 24.4 C, 23.8 C and 24.0 C, respectively.

The agency forecast that daily highs will further rise by two to three degrees in many parts of the country Thursday.

In Seoul and parts of Gyeonggi Province, the mercury will reach as high as 25 C on the day, displaying early summerlike weather, it said. (Yonhap)