Heat wave continues to grip coronavirus-weary Korea

Yonhap via The Korea Herald/Asia News Network

SEOUL — A heat wave will continue to grip Seoul and most parts of South Korea Wednesday, with daytime highs surging up to 38 C, the weather agency said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast the daytime highs will soar up to 31-38 C across the country, while the apparent temperatures will hover around 35 C due to high humidity.

The KMA has already issued a heat wave advisory or warning for most regions nationwide. The heat wave warning is prompted when the highest apparent temperature is projected to exceed 35 C for more than two days.

The sunny day will lead to a tropical night in Seoul, the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, the southeastern provinces of Gyeongsang and Jeju Island on Wednesday, the KMA said, advising people to pay close attention to their health amid the scorching nighttime heat. The tropical night phenomenon is defined by the nighttime low staying above 25 C.

As of 9 a.m., the temperature hit 25 C in Seoul, 23.9 C in the central city of Sejong, 24.9 C in the western port city of Incheon, 26.1 C in the southwestern city of Gwangju, 29 C in the southeastern city of Daegu, 27.9 C in the southern port city of Busan, and 29.3 C on the southern resort island Jeju, according to the KMA.

Meanwhile, the fine dust concentration is expected to reach the “bad” level in Busan and nearby Ulsan while the amount of fine dust particles may temporarily surge in Seoul, Gyeonggi and the central province of North Chungcheong during nighttime. Yonhap