tourist from abroad uses a handheld fan at Gyeongbok Palace, the main royal palace during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty, in Seoul, South Korea, 13 July 2026. The mercury climbed to an intraday high of 32 degrees Celsius in the South Korean capital. EPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT The record was set in the southeastern city of Yangsan, where temperatures reached 41.4 C at 1:40 p.m. (0440 GMT), according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The reading surpassed the previous national record of 41.0 C set in Hongcheon in August 2018.
Yangsan has now recorded temperatures above 40 C for three consecutive days amid an intense heatwave affecting much of the country.
The KMA has issued its highest-level heatwave warning for parts of South Gyeongsang Province, including Yangsan, while heatwave advisories and warnings remain in effect across most of South Korea.
“KMA data records using the ASOS observing system began in 1973, and the 41.4 degrees measured in Yangsan is the highest temperature observed in our records since then,” a KMA spokesperson said.
The KMA said the extreme heat across the country was caused by the simultaneous influence of the North Pacific High and the Tibetan High pressure systems, which have covered the Korean Peninsula like a lid, trapping heat and allowing temperatures to build across much of the country while limiting cloud cover.
Forecasters are also monitoring Typhoon Dolphin in the western Pacific, whose eventual track could influence weather conditions over the Korean Peninsula next week, although its impact on the ongoing heatwave remains uncertain.
(Reporting by Kyu-seok ShimEditing by Ed Davies)
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