Highest Level Heat Wave Warnings Expand Across Greater Seoul Area

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has placed 43 percent of the greater Seoul area under its highest level serious heat wave warning as of Wednesday. The top tier alerts now cover 20 out of 46 land weather advisory areas in the capital region, including southern Incheon and nine cities and zones in Gyeonggi Province such as Gwangmyeong, Yeoncheon, and Hwaseong. This follows a Tuesday alert that placed all of Seoul under the top tier warning for the first time since the system was introduced on June 1. The KMA issues these warnings when apparent temperatures are projected to hit 38 C or higher, or when daily maximums reach 39 C or above, provided the perceived temperature has been 35 C or higher for two or more consecutive days.

Temperatures in several Gyeonggi Province cities are expected to reach 39 C, while Seoul and Gwangju are forecast to hit 38 C. The extreme heat has shifted westward from southeastern Korea, where the city of Yangsan recently recorded 42.5 C, the highest temperature since modern observations began in 1904. Some reports attribute this shift to a foehn effect caused by easterly winds crossing mountain ranges, which makes the air hotter and drier as it descends on the western side of the peninsula.

The heat wave has had a significant impact on public health. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 2,221 heat related hospitalizations and 19 fatalities between May 15 and Monday. Tropical nights, where temperatures do not fall below 25 C, have continued across much of the country. While scattered showers are forecast for Seoul, Incheon, and southwestern Gyeonggi Province, forecasters indicate that the relief will be short lived as humidity remains high.