<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/03/south-korea-highest-temperature>
"South Korea has registered its highest temperature since records began more
than a century ago, as authorities warned people to “immediately” stop all
outdoor activities in affected areas.
The south-eastern city of Yangsan saw the temperature reach 42.5C on Sunday
afternoon, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said, the highest
temperature reported since modern weather observation began in 1904.
Yangsan has been the centre of an ongoing heatwave, where temperatures exceeded
40C for a fifth consecutive day on Sunday, while many other cities including
Daegu and Busan are seeing temperatures climb into the high 30s.
People gathered in airconditioned shopping malls or cafes to escape the
blistering temperatures. Others sought relief under mist-spray zones set up in
Seoul. Ju Dong-yeol, 27, took refuge from the heat in a Starbucks in the South
Korean capital, along with his parents and told
AFP “it is too hot to be
outside doing anything”.
“I can’t think of anything else to do other than stay in airconditioned places
like home, shopping malls and cafes,” the office worker said.
The city of Gyeongju, about 240km south-east of Seoul, reached 40.3C on Sunday,
its highest recorded temperature in eight years.
North Korea has also faced punishing heat, with temperatures soaring as high as
40C in some regions, state media reported on Monday. Residents in Pyongyang
have endured a week of nights where the temperature has not dropped below 25C.
More than 20 localities in South Korea were under emergency heatwave alerts on
Sunday – a new warning category introduced this year to better address rising
temperatures. An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave
are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38C or an actual temperature of
39C for the day.
Issuing a heat warning, the weather agency urged people to “immediately stop
all outdoor activities”, adding that “indoor spaces without air conditioning
are dangerous”.
“Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a
shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting,” it advised.
Fearing for those people most vulnerable to heat, the prime minister, Han
Seong-sook, ordered local officials to strengthen safety checks on residents
and to ensure a stable power and water supply was maintained."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
