Heat wave, tropical nights to grip Korea as monsoon rains pause
As monsoon rains briefly ease, temperatures could hit 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit) in the south and nights above 25 degrees Celsius are expected nationwide.
Visitors enjoy a water park in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, on July 9.NEWS1
Heavy downpours will temporarily ease this weekend. Instead, sweltering heat will blanket the country day and night as Temperatures in southern regions could climb as high as 38 degrees Celsius (100 degrees Fahrenheit), raising concerns over heat-related illnesses.
Rain is forecast across the Seoul metropolitan area, Gangwon, the Chungcheong region and Jeju through Friday afternoon. Scattered showers are also expected across the country from the afternoon into the evening, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
Once the rain clears, two high-pressure systems are expected to spread across the country and bring wider heat waves and tropical nights. Hot, humid southwesterly winds are also expected to push apparent temperatures higher.
“A double-layer high-pressure system will form, with the Tibetan high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere and the North Pacific high-pressure system below it,” Gong Sang-min, a forecast analyst at the KMA, said. “As the two systems surround the Korean Peninsula, the stationary front [monsoon front] will be pushed north of Korea and the intense heat will begin.”
Daytime temperatures in Seoul are forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius over the weekend, and the apparent temperature will also rise to 34 degrees Celsius. More extreme heat is expected in southern regions, with Pohang, North Gyeongsang, forecast to reach 38 degrees.
The KMA issued heat advisories for most southern regions and parts of central Korea, including southern parts of Seoul, at 11 a.m. on Friday.
“Apparent temperatures may be even higher at indoor and outdoor workplaces, farms and roads,” the KMA said. “People should drink plenty of water and avoid strenuous outdoor activities whenever possible because of the risk of heat-related illness.”
Visitors of Lotte Water Park in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, play in the pool to beat the heat on July 9.NEWS1
Temperatures are also expected to remain high overnight, bringing tropical nights to most parts of the country. A tropical night occurs when the overnight low remains at or above 25 degrees Celsius.
Seoul’s morning low is forecast at 25 degrees Celsius and the apparent temperature could potentially reach 28 degrees.
“People should use air conditioners or fans to keep indoor temperatures cool,” a KMA representative said. “Please drink plenty of water before bed and avoid caffeine and alcohol.”
The monsoon rains are expected to pause over the weekend, but the rainy season is not over. The stationary front is forecast to move south again in the middle of next week, bringing rain nationwide on Wednesday and to southern regions and Jeju on Thursday, the KMA’s medium-range forecast showed.
A satellite image shows Typhoon Bavi and its projected path as of July 10.KOREA METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE
Typhoon Bavi, the ninth typhoon of the season, could also affect weather conditions around Korea.
Bavi was moving west-northwest at 25 kilometers per hour (16 miles per hour) over waters about 660 kilometers south of Okinawa, Japan, at 9 a.m. on Friday. The typhoon is expected to maintain a powerful Category 4 intensity before making landfall in China on Saturday night. It is then forecast to weaken into a tropical depression.
“The North Pacific high-pressure system is covering Korea, making it difficult for rain clouds associated with the typhoon to move into the country,” Woo Jin-kyu, a weather forecaster at the KMA, said. “The typhoon could still affect atmospheric pressure patterns around Korea.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
