Heat wave to drive temperatures up to 36 degrees Celsius amid 'serious' heat warning

Children take refuge from the scorching heat at a fountain in central Seoul, Aug. 1. Yonhap

The heat wave will continue to bake Korea on Wednesday, sending daytime temperatures as high as 36 degrees Celsius, the weather agency said, as the heat warning remains at the highest level of "serious."

The highest daily temperatures are expected to reach 35 degrees in Seoul, 33 degrees in the nearby city of Incheon, and 36 degrees in the southern cities of Gwangju and Daegu, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

Apparent temperatures, which measure the temperature the body actually feels, will surpass 35 degrees almost across the entire nation.

The previous day, the government raised its heat wave warning to "serious," the highest level in the four-stage warning system, for the first time in four years.

A serious-level alert is issued when daily high temperatures remain at 35 degrees or higher in many parts of the country for at least three days or daily highs remain at 38 degrees or higher in some parts of the nation for at least three days.

A tropical night was reported overnight in Seoul, Incheon, and parts of Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, with the nighttime temperature staying 25 degrees or higher throughout the night.

As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the temperature stood at 28.3 degrees in Seoul, 28 degrees in the central city of Daejeon, 28.9 degrees in the southeastern coastal city of Ulsan and 29.7 degrees in the southeastern port city of Busan.

The agency advised people to remain indoors around noon as ozone concentration levels will be "very bad" in southern parts of Gyeonggi Province and South Chungcheong Province, and "bad" in the broader Seoul area and other parts of the country.

The level of ultraviolet radiation will be "very high" across the nation around noon.

Some parts of the country may see sudden rain showers as strong as 30 millimeters per hour and accompanied by strong winds and thunder, including southern Gyeonggi areas, some parts of Gangwon Province and other southern regions, the agency said. (Yonhap)