Temperatures in Yangsan set new record as heat surpasses 40 degrees Celsius for 4th day

Temperatures surpassed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the southeastern city of Yangsan, South Gyeongsang, for the fourth straight day to set a new record of 41.6 degrees as a scorching heat wave continued to grip the nation, the state weather agency said Saturday.

The mercury reached 41.6 degrees Celsius in the city at 2:08 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

On the previous day, the temperature there climbed to 41.4 degrees Celsius, marking the highest reading since modern weather observations began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904, based on records from the KMA's 97 long-term observation stations.

If the temperature in Yangsan reaches 42 degrees Celsius, it will mark the highest temperature ever recorded under the country's modern weather observation system, even including automatic weather stations.

Only three temperatures higher than Friday's 41.4 degrees Celsius in Yangsan have been recorded in observation history, including 41.9 degrees in Gwangju, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 1, 2018, which is not among the 97 sites operated by the KMA.

Yonhap