Gangneung Hits 35.5°C, Highest May Temperature on Record... Early Arrival of Scorching Heat

Despite being mid-May, midsummer heat has arrived. Gangneung City in Gangwon Province saw the daytime high temperature soar to 35.5 degrees Celsius, marking the highest temperature ever recorded for May.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 16th, as of 4 p.m., the East Coast including Gangneung, Sokcho, Donghae, and Uljin in North Gyeongsang Province experienced a heatwave reminiscent of midsummer. Gangneung recorded 35.5 degrees, Sokcho 34.4 degrees, Donghae 33.5 degrees, and Uljin 34.9 degrees, all setting record highs for May temperatures.

On the 16th, when the highest daytime temperature in Seoul rose to 30 degrees Celsius, foreign tourists visiting the Myeongdong shopping street in Jung-gu, Seoul, cooled off by eating ice cream. Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Warm southwesterly winds brought the heat on this day. The East Coast became even hotter as the southwesterly winds crossed the Taebaek Mountains. With the continued flow of hot westerly winds, tropical nights are expected to occur.

A tropical night refers to a phenomenon where the nighttime low temperature exceeds 25 degrees Celsius. The earliest tropical night on record nationwide was confirmed in Pohang City, North Gyeongsang Province, on May 16, 2018. If tropical nights occur along the East Coast overnight, it will tie the record for the earliest tropical night in five years.

The early heatwave is expected to continue on the 17th. Nationwide, morning low temperatures will range from 12 to 22 degrees Celsius, and daytime highs will be between 24 and 34 degrees. Daytime temperatures will be 28 degrees in Seoul, 24 degrees in Incheon, 31 degrees in Daejeon, 31 degrees in Gwangju, 32 degrees in Daegu, 29 degrees in Ulsan, and 25 degrees in Busan. In the Yeongdong region of Gangwon, temperatures will exceed 30 degrees with 34 degrees in Gangneung and Samcheok, and 32 degrees in Yangyang.

The early heatwave is forecast to subside on the 18th as a low-pressure system passes south of Jeju Island, bringing cloudy weather.