Early heat wave grips Korea as Gangneung records first tropical night of the year

A child enjoy water splashes from a fountain in Daegu on Monday. The daily highest in Daegu on Monday was 33.4 degrees Celsius (91.2 degrees Fahrenheit). [YONHAP]

The eastern coastal city of Gangneung, Gangwon, experienced this year's first tropical night between Monday and Tuesday, seven days earlier than last year.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said that Gangwon's morning low on Tuesday was 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit).

A tropical night occurs when temperatures remain at 25 degrees or above from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., according to the weather agency.

An official from the state-run weather agency's Gangwon office said temperatures are “rising after reaching the lowest of 25 degrees Celsius at 5:53 a.m. [on Tuesday].”

“If there are no further drops in temperatures, this year’s first tropical night would be [the night between] Monday [and Tuesday], which is seven days earlier than last year’s first occurrence on June 17,” the official added.

Hot air from the west and clear skies allowing sunlight to beam down directly are likely to make daytime temperatures surpass 30 degrees Celsius across the country.

In particular, the weather authority forecast that Gyeongsang regions are expected to see daytime temperatures exceeding 33 degrees Celsius.

The weather authority has issued a heat wave advisory for Yongin in Gyeonggi, Damyang and Gokseong in South Jeolla, Ulsan, Daegu, Gimhae and Changnyeong in South Gyeongsang and Yeongcheon, Gyeongsan, Cheongdo and Gyeongju in North Gyeongsang.

The advisory is based on the “sensible temperature,” or the temperature that the human body feels, not the actual recorded temperature. A heat wave advisory can be issued when a person’s sensible temperature is 33 degrees Celsius or higher.

Morning lows across the country were expected to range between 16 and 25 degrees Celsius, with daily highs ranging between 26 and 34 degrees Celsius.

Seoul’s morning temperature at 8 a.m. was recorded at 23.2 degrees Celsius, while Incheon and Daejeon recorded 21.8 and 23.7 degrees Celsius, respectively. Gwangju and Busan saw morning temperatures of 22.7 and 22.8 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Of all regions, Daegu is expected to hit the highest daily temperature at 34 degrees Celsius on Tuesday.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE, LEE SOO-JUNG [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]