South Korea records hottest day on record amid severe heatwave

South Korea has recorded its highest temperature since national weather records began more than a century ago, as an intense heatwave continues to grip the country. The southeastern city of Yangsan reached 42.5C at 1:26pm local time on Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. It was the fifth consecutive day that temperatures in Yangsan rose above 40C.

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Heat warnings remain in force across much of South Korea, with temperatures climbing into the upper 30s in many cities. More than 20 localities were under emergency heatwave alerts on Sunday, a warning category introduced this year in response to increasingly severe summer temperatures. The emergency alert is issued when forecasts predict either a perceived temperature of at least 38C or an actual temperature of 39C or higher for a single day.

The record comes as the country faces a prolonged period of extreme heat that has already pushed conditions well beyond seasonal norms. The Korea Meteorological Administration says the average annual number of heatwave days has more than doubled over the past five years to 19, compared with an average of eight days in the 1970s. The agency defines a heatwave day as one in which the maximum temperature reaches at least 33C, while a tropical night is when overnight temperatures do not fall below 25C.

The latest figures are significant because they show how quickly heat conditions have intensified in parts of the country. Yangsan's repeated days above 40C underline the scale of the current event, while the spread of emergency alerts suggests the impact is not limited to one city. The situation also adds to a wider pattern of severe weather affecting several regions globally, including heat, drought, floods and wildfires.

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The record temperature is part of a broader trend that meteorologists and scientists have linked to a warming climate. South Korea has experienced more frequent and longer-lasting heatwaves in recent years, and the new emergency alert system reflects official concern about the growing risk to public health and daily life. The current heatwave is therefore being watched not only as a weather event, but also as a test of how authorities respond to increasingly extreme summer conditions.

What remains unclear is how long the current heatwave will last and whether more locations will be added to the emergency alert list. Officials have not yet said whether further records could be broken in the coming days. The main focus now is on monitoring temperatures, public safety and the possible strain on communities already facing prolonged heat.

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