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Summer sizzle to continue over weekend and into September, KMA warns

Published: 21 Aug. 2025, 18:15

Pedestrians use parasols or fans to shade themselves as they walk on Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]

August is almost over, but the heat definitely isn't. The sweltering heat will only worsen over the weekend and continue into a hotter September than usual, according to Korea's weather forecaster.

Most of the country was under heat wave advisories as of 3 p.m. on Thursday, with daytime highs reaching around 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Seoul recorded 34.3 degrees Celsius, Daegu 35.5 degrees and Yangsan in South Gyeongsang hit 36.3 degrees on Thursday afternoon.

Double high-pressure system traps heat

The weekend will bring even higher temperatures, rising by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius, as the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems combine to blanket the Korean Peninsula.

KMA forecast analyst Gong Sang-min said the merger of the two systems would “intensify both the daytime heat and tropical nights during the weekend.”

In Seoul, daytime highs are expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius on Saturday, but the apparent temperature will climb to 35 degrees Celsius. In the southern regions, the apparent temperature could soar to 37 degrees Celsius.

Nighttime conditions will also offer little relief. In Seoul, the apparent temperature is not expected to drop below 29 degrees Celsius.

“Heat continues to flow in from outside at night, preventing proper radiative cooling,” Gong explained. “This is why tropical nights occur more frequently along coasts and in urban areas.”

Typhoon Lingling's expected trajectory is visualized on this map by the Korea Meteorological Administration. [KOREA METEOROLOGICAL ADMINISTRATION]

Typhoon Lingling fizzles out

Typhoons are also struggling to form under the strong high-pressure system.

Typhoon Lingling, the 12th storm of the season, developed off the coast of Kyushu, Japan, on Thursday morning but is expected to weaken into a tropical depression within a day.

If no further typhoons affect Korea through the end of the month, this summer will be the first since 2016 without a single typhoon impact.

Pedestrians wait under the shade at a crossroad near Gwanghwamun in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Aug. 21. [NEWS1]

Heat to persist into September

The oppressive weather is unlikely to ease soon. The KMA expects the high-pressure influence to continue into next week, bringing more scorching days and tropical nights.

Rain is forecast around Tuesday in central regions, but forecasters say it will not be enough to break the heat.

“Upper air temperatures remain near 20 degrees Celsius, so extreme heat and tropical nights will persist, although their intensity will vary by region,” Gong said.

Even into September, when autumn begins, relief may not come quickly. The KMA’s monthly outlook, released Thursday, projects above-average temperatures throughout the month.

“It is difficult to say extreme heat and tropical nights will continue, but temperatures will likely stay warmer than normal,” said KMA spokesperson Woo Jin-gyu.

Workers at a farm in Gangneung, Gangwon, wear large hats as they plant chives on Aug. 21. [YONHAP]

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.
BY CHON KWON-PIL [[email protected]]