Heat Wave Alerts Issued for 88% of Korea...Hot Weather Expected to Continue

The intense heat, which had briefly subsided, has returned. As heat wave advisories have once again been issued for Seoul and other parts of central Korea, the hot weather is expected to continue for the time being.

Yonhap News

As of 11 a.m. on August 15, Liberation Day, heat wave advisories were in effect for most of the central regions, including Seoul and Daejeon. In Seoul, the advisory was reissued after being lifted at 4 a.m. on August 6, marking a return after nine days. The highest daytime temperatures are expected to range from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius. In most areas, the midday apparent temperature will exceed 31 degrees Celsius. As the air near the ground heats up during the day, atmospheric instability is expected to bring showers in some places.

A heat wave advisory is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain at or above 33 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days. A heat wave warning is issued when the apparent temperature is expected to reach 35 degrees Celsius or higher.

With heat wave warnings now in effect not only in Jeju and the southern regions but also in the central regions, 88% (161 out of 183) of the nationwide land-based weather advisory zones are currently under heat wave alerts. Of these, 54 areas-mainly in Jeollanam-do, Yeongnam, and along the Jeju coastline-are under heat wave warnings.

In regions south of Chungcheong, the highest apparent temperature is expected to reach around 33 degrees Celsius, with some areas in the southern regions and Jeju likely to see temperatures soar to around 35 degrees Celsius.

On Saturday, August 16, the morning low is expected to be between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs ranging from 20 to 35 degrees Celsius. On August 17, the lows and highs are forecast to be 21 to 26 degrees Celsius and 29 to 35 degrees Celsius, respectively.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's mid-term forecast released that morning, temperatures throughout next week are expected to remain slightly above the seasonal averages (lows of 20 to 24 degrees Celsius and highs of 28 to 32 degrees Celsius).