According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the city of Yangsan in the southeast recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius at 1:26 p.m. local time on Sunday. This marked the fifth consecutive day that temperatures in Yangsan exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.
Heat warnings remained in effect across many parts of South Korea as temperatures in numerous cities climbed into the high 30s. More than 20 localities were placed under an emergency heat alert on Sunday, a new warning level introduced this year in response to increasingly severe summer temperatures.
The emergency alert is issued when the forecast perceived temperature is at least 38 degrees Celsius or the actual temperature reaches 39 degrees Celsius or higher within a day.
KMA data shows that the average annual number of heatwave days in South Korea has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching 19 days, compared with an average of 8 days in the 1970s. The agency defines a heatwave day as one with a maximum temperature of at least 33 degrees Celsius, while a “tropical night” occurs when nighttime temperatures do not drop below 25 degrees Celsius.
Scientists attribute the increasing frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves and other extreme weather events to human-induced climate change.
The record-breaking heat in South Korea comes amid extreme weather affecting countries across several continents. In Japan, prolonged severe heat in eastern and western regions has prompted authorities to issue heatstroke warnings in 30 of the country's 47 prefectures, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
In Europe, wildfires fueled by high temperatures and strong winds have swept through parts of Greece, forcing residents to evacuate, while hot and dry conditions persist in Spain and France, raising the risk of new blazes.
In North Africa, extreme heat and strong winds are triggering major wildfires in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. Tunisia has mobilized international firefighting aircraft as rescue teams urgently battle blazes threatening forests, farmland, and nearby communities.
Meanwhile, a dangerous heatwave is enveloping parts of the western United States, where forecasters warn that temperatures could break records over the weekend and sharply increase the risk of wildfires in dry and already-burning areas.
