Seoul back under heat wave warnings after 15-day break
Heat wave warnings have returned to parts of Seoul as sweltering days and tropical nights grip much of the country.
Children play in a fountain at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 23.
NEWS1
The temperature in Seoul is rising again, with heat wave warnings reissued for parts of the capital Monday, 15 days after being downgraded to an advisory on Aug. 9.
Heat wave advisories were also upgraded to warnings in parts of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, South Chungcheong, North and South Gyeongsang and Busan.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) upgraded heat wave advisories to warnings for southeastern and northeastern Seoul as of 11 a.m. Monday. Advisories remain in effect for southwestern and northwestern Seoul.
The KMA divides heat wave alerts into three tiers based primarily on the daily maximum apparent temperature: advisories are issued when the apparent temperature is forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius (91.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher for at least two consecutive days, warnings at 35 degrees Celsius or higher for at least two days and the most severe tier, a "heat wave critical warning," introduced this year, when the apparent temperature is forecast to reach 38 degrees Celsius or higher — or the actual temperature reaches 39 degrees Celsius or higher — for at least one day.
Areas where warnings were newly issued include Gimpo, Hanam and Gwangju in Gyeonggi; lowland and mountainous areas of Donghae and Samcheok in Gangwon; Gongju, Cheongyang County and Boryeong in South Chungcheong; Gumi, Yecheon County, northern Gimcheon and lowland areas of Uljin County in North Gyeongsang; Tongyeong and central Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang; and eastern Busan.
Tropical night advisories are also in effect for 84 areas nationwide, including southwestern Seoul. Seoul's lowest apparent temperature overnight was 27.7 degrees Celsius, with hot and humid conditions persisting through the night.
The nighttime heat is expected to continue for the time being, with morning lows forecast to remain above 25 degrees Celsius.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]
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.
