Citizens cool off in the shade at Seoul Forest in Seongdong District, Thursday, as unseasonably hot weather swept across the country, with daytime temperatures in Seoul rising to 31 degrees Celsius. Yonhap
An early summer heat wave is sweeping across Korea, with temperatures running 5 to 10 degrees Celsius above seasonal norms and expected to persist into early next week.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) Friday, daytime highs are expected to remain around 31 degrees Celsius during the weekend and through early next week, marking a heat spell that arrived about a week earlier than last year.
Abnormally high temperatures were recorded across parts of the country Thursday.
In Wonju, Gangwon Province, the daytime high reached 31.5 degrees Celsius, marking the highest mid-May temperature since recordkeeping began in September 1971. Paju in Gyeonggi Province also saw a new mid-May record, with temperatures climbing to 30.7 degrees, the highest since observations there began in December 2001.
The heat is forecast to linger for several more days, reaching its peak on Sunday.
Saturday will see morning lows of 12 to 18 degrees Celsius and daytime highs of 23 to 32 degrees, with temperatures rising further on Sunday to 23 to 33 degrees.
Inland areas of North Gyeongsang Province, including Daegu, are expected to experience intense heat, with highs reaching 33 degrees.
The heat is being driven by a high-pressure system creating descending air currents that suppress cloud formation, allowing temperatures to rise more easily. Dry air in the upper atmosphere is further intensifying daytime temperatures.
Despite the heat, temperatures are expected to fluctuate sharply between daytime highs and nighttime lows in the coming days, according to the KMA.
Source: Korea Times News
