Temperatures soar to 40 degrees Celsius in greater Seoul area
A child plays in a fountain at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul amid hot weather, Sunday. Yonhap
A heat wave continued to grip Korea on Sunday, with daytime highs in Seoul reaching 38 degrees Celsius and parts of Gyeonggi Province exceeding 40 degrees Celsius, the state weather agency said.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the temperature for Seoul hit 38 degrees Celsius at around 3:35 p.m., marking one of the hottest days ever recorded in the capital region.
It was only the ninth time since modern meteorological observations began in the city in October 1907 that the temperature has reached or surpassed 38 degrees Celsius.
Anseong in Gyeonggi Province also saw the temperature hit 40.6 degrees Celsius at 4:46 p.m. based on data from the KMA's automated weather stations. It was the first time temperatures topped 40 degrees Celsius since July 8, when those in the western cities of Gwangmyeong and Paju soared above 40 degrees Celsius.
The sweltering weather is forecast to continue across most parts of Korea on Monday.
In Seoul, daytime highs are expected to reach 37 degrees Celsius, while other major cities, such as Suwon, Daejeon and Cheongju, are forecast to see highs of 36 degrees Celsius.