The Greater Seoul area faced worsening heat conditions Wednesday as South Korea’s weather authorities expanded the highest-level heat wave warning across the region, a day after it was first issued in the capital area.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, an Emergency Heat Wave Warning was in effect in 30 of 46 zones across Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province as of 2 p.m. Wednesday. The 30 zones include all of Seoul, nearly all of Incheon and large parts of Gyeonggi Province. The remaining zones were under the lower-level Heat Wave Warning.
A Heat Wave Warning is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain at or above 35 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days.
Areas already under the warning are upgraded to an Emergency Heat Wave Warning when the apparent temperature is expected to reach 38 C or the actual temperature is forecast to reach at least 39 C.
Daytime highs on Thursday are forecast to reach 39 C in Seoul and Yangpyeong, while Incheon and the Gyeonggi cities of Suwon and Icheon are expected to reach 38 C, similar to Wednesday's highs, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.
The KMA attributed the particularly high temperatures in western Korea partly to a foehn effect caused by easterly winds crossing mountain ranges in the eastern part of the peninsula. The air loses moisture as it passes over the mountains and becomes hotter and drier as it descends on the western side, driving temperatures higher in the capital region and other western areas.
The extreme heat followed another sweltering night. Seoul recorded an overnight low of 29 C at the KMA’s main observation station in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. Temperatures remained above 30 C at some observation points, including one in Dongjak-gu.
Tropical nights, defined as nights when temperatures do not fall below 25 C, continued across Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province, as well as parts of the Jeolla provinces and inland areas of the Gyeongsang provinces.
The heat was also expected to persist outside the capital region.
Gwangju and Daejeon are forecast to reach 37 C, while Daegu is expected to hit 36 C on Thursday.
Southeastern areas that recorded temperatures above 40 C late last week were expected to see relatively milder conditions Wednesday as the most intense heat shifted westward toward the capital region and other western parts of the country.
Busan and Ulsan are forecast to reach 33 C, while Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, is expected to record a high of 34 C after setting Korea's all-time temperature record of 42.5 C on Sunday.
Health authorities said Wednesday that 198 cases of heat-related illness, including one suspected heat-related death, were reported the previous day.
The latest figures brought the cumulative number of heat-related illness cases reported since May 15 to 2,441, including 21 suspected deaths.
Although the cumulative number of heat-related illness cases is about 75 percent of the total reported during the same period last year, the suspected fatality rate has risen to 0.86 percent, compared with 0.62 percent a year earlier.
Scattered showers were forecast from the afternoon into the evening along the western coasts of the South Chungcheong and North Jeolla provinces and across the southwestern region. Showers were also expected from late afternoon through the evening in Seoul, Incheon and southwestern Gyeonggi Province.
The rain, however, was unlikely to provide lasting relief. Temperatures were expected to fall briefly during the showers but rise again afterward, while higher humidity could make the heat feel more oppressive.
From Sunday through Aug. 15, morning lows were forecast to range from 22 C to 27 C, with daytime highs of 29 C to 36 C nationwide.
forestjs@heraldcorp.com
