South Korea is facing a severe heatwave as temperatures in Yangsan city have surged to 41.4 degrees Celsius, setting the highest record since the nationwide weather monitoring system began in 1973, with temperatures remaining above 40 degrees Celsius for the third consecutive day.
On 31 July 2026, Yonhap News Agency reported that South Korea continues to endure an intense heatwave, with temperatures in Yangsan city, South Gyeongsang Province in the southeast, reaching 41.4 degrees Celsius at 13:40 local time. Authorities have issued the highest-level heatwave warnings in parts of South Gyeongsang Province, including Yangsan, while many areas across South Korea remain under heat advisories.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) stated that this temperature is the highest since weather observations began in the area in 2008 and the highest ever recorded in the national weather station network, which officially started in 1973. This also breaks the previous record of 41 degrees Celsius measured in Hongcheon County, Gangwon Province, on 1 August 2018.
Reports noted that Yangsan had already recorded temperatures as high as 40.3 degrees Celsius for two consecutive days on Wednesday and Thursday, resulting in three straight days of temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. This marks only the third time since South Korea established its nationwide weather monitoring network that any location has experienced three consecutive days above 40 degrees Celsius.
The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that the severe heatwave covering many parts of the country is due to the combined influence of high-pressure systems over the North Pacific and Tibet, which blanket the Korean Peninsula and trap heat. At the same time, reduced cloud cover has caused temperatures to rise continuously.
Source: Yonhap