SEOUL, July 31 (AJP) - South Korea's record-breaking heat wave is expected to persist through the first week of August, with the southeastern city of Yangsan forecast to approach 40 degrees Celsius again on Friday after two consecutive days above the mark.
The Korea Meteorological Administration on Friday forecast daytime highs of 32-37 C nationwide, with mostly sunny skies across the southern regions and Jeju Island and partly cloudy conditions over central areas.
Most of the country will continue to experience heat-wave conditions and tropical nights, with overnight temperatures remaining above 25 C in many areas.
Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, is expected to reach 40 C, following highs of 40.3 C on both Tuesday and Wednesday. If temperatures top 40 C for a third straight day, it would mark the first such streak since the historic summer of 2018, widely regarded as South Korea's worst heat wave this century.
Including observations from automated weather stations, South Korea has recorded only two previous instances since 1973 in which temperatures exceeded 40 C for at least three consecutive days. One occurred in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, from Aug. 1-3, 2018, while another lasted four consecutive days in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, during the same month.
The weather agency said little relief is in sight. Weekend temperatures are forecast to range between 21-27 C in the morning and 32-38 C during the day, while similar conditions are expected to continue into next week.
Its medium-range outlook projects morning lows of 24-27 C and daytime highs of 33-38 C from Aug. 4-10, indicating the current heat wave will remain largely unchanged.
Strong sunshine is also expected to push ozone concentrations to "bad" levels Friday afternoon across the Seoul metropolitan area, Chungcheong, Jeolla, Busan, Ulsan, and much of North and South Gyeongsang provinces. Authorities advised vulnerable groups to limit outdoor activities because elevated ozone can aggravate respiratory and skin conditions.
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