Hot weather to continue through Sunday, showers expected in some regions

A person plays in the fountains at Yangsan Water Park in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday, as temperatures in the area soared to 41.4 degrees Celsius amid a scorching heat wave. (Yonhap)
A person plays in the fountains at Yangsan Water Park in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday, as temperatures in the area soared to 41.4 degrees Celsius amid a scorching heat wave. (Yonhap)

Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province, broke its own record Friday for the highest temperature ever recorded through South Korea's standard weather observation system.

The city in the southeastern region recorded 41.4 degrees Celsius as of 1:40 p.m., surpassing the 40-degree mark for the third straight day since Wednesday. The daily highs on Wednesday and Thursday were 41.3 C, which before Friday were the highest figures ever recorded by Korea's Automated Synoptic Observing System.

The ASOS comprises 97 standardized weather observation points across the country to record official tallies.

Friday's temperature in Yangsan was among the highest ever recorded in South Korea, ranking fourth overall when including temperatures detected by the Automatic Weather System.

A water-spraying truck passes along a road in Nambu-dong, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday, as the city recorded temperatures exceeding 40 C for the third consecutive day. (Yonhap)
A water-spraying truck passes along a road in Nambu-dong, Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, on Friday, as the city recorded temperatures exceeding 40 C for the third consecutive day. (Yonhap)

The AWS is an automated system implemented in 1988 to augment the ASOS. While it is also a state-authorized weather observation system, its data is not used for official tallies by the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Even including the AWS figures, the regional temperature in Korea surpassed Yangsan's 41.3 degrees on only three previous occasions: 41.9 C in Jiwol-ri, Gwangju, on Aug. 1., 2018; 41.8 C in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, on the same day; and 41.6 C in Geumsa-myeon in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, Aug. 4, 2024.

This year marks only the third time a daily high in any region reached 40 C or above for the third straight day. Both previous cases were in 2018, one of the hottest summers on record.

Heat wave to persist throughout weekend

The KMA has projected heat waves to continue through Sunday, with daily highs of at least 32 C.

Residents on Friday play at a pool set up at Hwangsan Park in Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province, where a daily high of 41.4 degrees Celsius was recorded. (Yonhap)
Residents on Friday play at a pool set up at Hwangsan Park in Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province, where a daily high of 41.4 degrees Celsius was recorded. (Yonhap)

Heat wave warnings have been issued across the country for Saturday, with temperatures in the southeastern region projected to climb to around 39 degrees.

The Saturday high for Busan is projected at 38 C, with Ulsan and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province both expecting highs of 37 C. Gangneung, Gangwon Province, is also forecast to reach 37 degrees.

The temperature in Seoul could climb as high as 34 C on Saturday, with Incheon expecting a high of 32 C. Daejeon and Sejong administrative city are both expecting highs of 35 C.

Daily lows will hover between 25 C and 27 C in most regions. Morning temperatures will fall to 26 degrees in Seoul, Incheon, Suwon in Gyeonggi Province, Busan and Ulsan. Sejong and Daejeon will have daily lows of 25 C, as will Gwangju in the southwestern region, before each surging to 35 C.

Cloudy skies are expected for the central region Friday night and Saturday, with possible rainfall forecast in Incheon and some parts of Gyeonggi Province.

KMA officials warned that high humidity and temperatures above 30 C will create a high apparent temperature and have advised residents to refrain from excessive outdoor activities while staying hydrated and well-rested.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com