Seoul to fall under highest heat wave warning, with entire metropolitan area under some alert
An emergency warning will go into effect at 11 a.m. on Tuesday after an oppressive front pushes west in a first for the capital.
People walk in Jongno District, central Seoul on Aug. 3 with sun caps and umbrellas to block the sunlight.
NEWS1
Parts of Seoul will fall under Korea's highest heat alert for the first time from Tuesday morning as extreme heat pushes west across the country.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued heat wave emergency warnings at 4 p.m. Monday for southeastern and southwestern Seoul, for Osan, Hanam and western Yeoju in Gyeonggi and for Jangseong and northern Gokseong in South Jeolla. They take effect at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The heat wave emergency warning is the top of the three-tier heat alert system the weather agency introduced on June 1. It has never before been issued anywhere in the greater Seoul area, including Gyeonggi.
The heat wave emergency warning is issued when an area has already endured at least two straight days with an apparent temperature of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher and is expected to experience an apparent temperature of at least 38 degrees Celsius for a day or a daytime high of 39 degrees Celsius or above.
Emergency warnings are already in force in Boseong, Yeosu, Gwangyang, Suncheon and southern Gokseong in South Jeolla, and in eastern Gwangju. The alert was extended to Seoul and Gyeonggi because the heat is expected to intensify west of the Baekdudaegan mountain range.
Heat alerts of one level or another now cover the whole of the greater Seoul area. Nationwide, 217 of the 235 land-based weather alert zones, or 92 percent, have been issued a heat alert.
A heat wave advisory is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is forecast to remain at or above 33 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days. A heat wave warning, the middle tier, is issued when that reading is forecast to stay at or above 35 degrees Celsius for at least two days.
BY KIM JI-HYE [[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.
