SEOUL: A historic heatwave has shattered weather records in South Korea’s capital, with Seoul enduring 22 consecutive tropical nights in July—the longest streak since modern records began in 1907.
Overnight temperatures remained above 25C throughout the month, marking an unprecedented stretch of extreme heat.
The city nearly set another record on Wednesday, with the lowest temperature hitting 29.3C, potentially the hottest July night in Seoul’s history.
Meteorologists warn the scorching conditions will persist, driven by early influence from the North Pacific High.
Youn Ki-han, director of Seoul’s Meteorology Forecast Division, explained the compounding effect of prolonged heat.
“Warm air arrived earlier than usual, and the heat accumulated like interest in a savings account,“ he told AFP.
“When high temperatures last for days, the warmth lingers and builds.”
The heatwave has taken a severe toll, with 13 suspected heat-related deaths reported this year—triple last year’s figure—and hundreds of thousands of livestock lost.
Globally, June was the hottest month on record for 12 countries, per Copernicus data, underscoring the intensifying climate crisis. - AFP
