Seoul issues first ‘severe heatwave warning’ under new advisory system
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People cooling off in Cheonggyecheon stream in Seoul during a heatwave on Aug 3.
PHOTO: AFP
- South Korea's weather agency issued its first "severe heatwave warning" for Seoul due to extreme temperatures reaching up to 42.5°C and affecting nearly 300 people.
- The warning advises people to avoid outdoor activities and seek cooler places like air-conditioned spaces or heat relief shelters.
- Experts link the increasing intensity and frequency of heatwaves to human-induced climate change, with similar warnings adopted in other countries like Japan.
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SEOUL – South Korea’s weather agency issued a “severe heatwave warning” for Seoul on Aug 3, the first such advisory since introducing the designation in 2026 to alert the public about extreme temperatures.
New national heat records were set on July 31, Aug 1 and Aug 2, with temperatures soaring up to 42.5 deg C, leading to nearly 300 people being hospitalised, according to the health authorities.
The sweltering heatwave continued on Aug 3, albeit without breaking the weekend’s all-time record.
But the Korea Meteorological Administration issued its first “severe heatwave warning” for Seoul, saying some districts in the city of nine million people could expect more roasting temperatures to come.
The agency said that Aug 3 marked the second consecutive day when the apparent, or “feels like”, temperature in some districts reached 35 deg C – and forecast figures as high as 38 deg C from 11am local time on Aug 4.
“Outdoor activities and work should be halted or postponed as much as possible,” said the heat warning. “Individuals should move to cool locations, such as air-conditioned indoor spaces or designated heat-relief shelters.”
Pedestrian commuters in the capital snaked their way to work through patches of shade on Aug 3, avoiding direct sunlight even in the morning’s cooler, early hours.
The “severe heatwave warning” category was introduced in South Korea in 2026, mirroring similar designations other countries have created.
Japanese cities have in the summer of 2026 experienced “cruelly hot days”, a new meteorological term Tokyo uses to designate days with intense heat above 40 deg C.
Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change. AFP
