KMA issues heat wave warnings nationwide, 8 days later than last year
With Seoul suffering its first tropical night Sunday, most parts of the country are expected to experience scorching heat with daytime highs reaching 35 degrees Celsius this week, according to the weather agency.
A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when the lowest temperature stays above 25 C from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the following day.
The Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the lowest morning temperature in Seoul was 25.6 C on Monday. It added that this marked the city’s first tropical night this year, occurring eight days later than in 2024.
The agency stated that the nighttime temperature did not drop due to the hot air supplied by warm southwesterly winds. An early start to the monsoon season also led to the ground being saturated and humidity levels being high, resulting in a tropical night across much of the country.
While Pohang, the largest city in North Gyeongsang Province, and the east coastal city of Gangneung in Gangwon Province also experienced tropical nights on Sunday, with temperatures reaching 27 C, other cities in Gyeonggi Province, Chungcheong Province and Jeju Island suffered sweltering heat with temperatures remaining slightly above 25 C from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Meanwhile, heat wave advisories and warnings were issued in most of the country on Monday.
A total of 48 regions nationwide, including Seoul, the Greater Seoul region and other central regions, were placed under heat wave advisories. The advisories were elevated to heat wave warnings in some 80 areas, especially in southern parts of the country, including Daegu, Busan, Gwangju and Jeju.
In Korea, heat wave advisories are issued when the highest apparent temperature is expected to reach over 33 C for more than two consecutive days. Warnings are issued when the apparent temperature is expected to reach 35 C or higher for two or more consecutive days, according to the KMA.
For Tuesday, morning lows are forecasted to be between 22 C to 26 C with daytime highs ranging from 27 C to 35 C.
Scattered showers of 5 to 20 millimeters are also expected across the country from morning to evening on Tuesday.
The weather agency explained that the temperatures may temporarily drop, but the intense heat is projected to come charging back under high humidity after the showers subside.
sj_lee@heraldcorp.com
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