Seoul Sizzles: Record-Breaking Heat Hits South Korea’s Capital

The temperature in Seoul reached 37.1 degrees Celsius as of 2 p.m. on Tuesday, setting a new record for the July 1-10 period in the South Korean capital since weather records began.

This surpasses the previous high of 36.8 degrees Celsius, recorded by the Seoul Meteorological Observatory on July 9, 1939 – a staggering 86 years ago. That record was set even before the official establishment of the South Korean government on August 15, 1948. Modern weather tracking in Korea commenced in October 1907, with July temperature records dating back to the following summer.

Seoul is grappling with an unusually early onset of summer heat this year. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued the season’s first heat wave warning at 10 a.m. on Monday, a full 18 days earlier than last year’s first alert on July 25.

The KMA issues heat wave warnings when daily high temperatures are expected to reach at least 35 degrees Celsius for two or more consecutive days.

In related news, a KMA report indicates that last month’s average temperature was 22.9 degrees Celsius. This not only makes it the hottest June on record but also marks a 0.2-degree increase from the previous year.