'Super tropical night' reported in Sokcho, Gangneung in July for 1st time

People law down under tree trunk to cool off in Gyeongpo Beach, Gangneung, July 28. Yonhap

The tropical night phenomenon has gripped the country, with temperatures in the east coast cities of Sokcho and Gangneung even staying above 30 degrees Celsius throughout the night, the state weather agency said Monday.

In Sokcho, the lowest overnight temperature was 30.6 degrees, marking the hottest night on record and the first time 30 degrees was exceeded since record-keeping began, while Gangneung recorded the lowest temperature of 30.4 degrees, in what is known as the "super tropical night" phenomenon, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

A tropical night refers to a phenomenon where the lowest temperature remains above 25 degrees between 6:01 p.m. and 9 a.m. the next day. If temperatures stay above 30 degrees throughout the night, it is often called a "super tropical night."

Other major cities also experienced hot tropical nights, with Seoul recording 27.2 degrees, Incheon 26.6 degrees, Daegu 26.3 degrees and Jeju Island 26.6 degrees.

It marks the first time a "super tropical night" phenomenon occurred in July, the KMA said. In the past, the phenomenon has occurred four times: 30.3 degrees on Aug. 6, 2022, 30.5 degrees on Aug. 3, 2023, 30.6 degrees on Aug. 4, 2023, and 30.9 degrees on Aug. 8, 2013, according to the KMA.

The number of tropical nights so far this summer, between June 1 and July 28, has reached a record 7.1, the most in 30 years since 8.6 days in 1994, while the average of previous years, between 1991 and 2020, is 2.7 days.

People cool off in front of a fan at Gwanghwamun Plaza, Jongno District, Seoul, July 24. Yonhap

As scorching heat has replaced the monsoon rain since last week, the phenomenon is expected to continue throughout August.

With the heat wave warning in place across the nation, the KMA forecast that the apparent temperatures will hover around 35 degrees in most regions and the tropical night phenomenon will continue for the time being.

On Monday, it is expected to be cloudy across the country and rain periodically in the northern part of Gyeonggi Province and the inland and mountainous regions of Gangwon Province.

It will rain sporadically until early Tuesday in Seoul, Incheon, the southern part of Gyeonggi Province and the northern part of North Chungcheong Province. Rain will continue until late Tuesday for the northern part of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province.

The expected precipitation from Monday through Tuesday is 5 to 30 millimeters for parts of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province, and 5 to 10 mm for much of the greater Seoul area and the northern part of North Chungcheong Province.

Despite the cloudy and sometimes rainy weather, the heat will continue to blanket much of the country, with the temperatures rising again after the rain comes to a lull.

The daily temperatures will range from 22 to 29 degrees, with the daytime highs forecast to hover around 28 to 36 degrees, a record much higher than average years, the KMA said. (Yonhap)