South Korea's Yangsan sets new temperature record as heat wave intensifies

A record-breaking heat wave continued to grip South Korea on August 1, with temperatures in the southeastern city of Yangsan climbing to 41.6°C, the highest ever recorded at one of the country's long-term weather observation stations, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The temperature reached 41.6°C at 2:08 p.m. local time in Yangsan, located about 310 kilometres southeast of Seoul, marking the fourth consecutive day that temperatures in the city exceeded 40°C, Yonhap reports.

The previous day, Yangsan recorded 41.4°C, setting a new record for the highest temperature measured since modern weather observations began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904 based on data from the KMA's 97 long-term observation stations.

The KMA said that if temperatures in Yangsan reach 42°C, it would become the highest temperature ever recorded under South Korea's modern weather observation system, including automatic weather stations.

According to historical records, only three temperatures higher than Yangsan's previous reading of 41.4°C have ever been recorded in the country. Those include 41.9°C measured in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on August 1, 2018, at a site that is not part of the KMA's network of 97 long-term observation stations.

By Sabina Mammadli