Temperature surges to 39C as scorching heat continues

/ Yonhap

The entire nation was engulfed by a scorching heat wave Saturday, with beaches, mountain resorts and festival sites nationwide flooded with vacationers seeking shelter from yearly high temperatures.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the temperature surged to 39.3 C in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, as of 2:50 p.m., with neighboring Miryang and Changwon reporting 38.2 C and 36.2 C, respectively.

The mercury rose above 30 C in most parts of the country early Saturday afternoon, including 38.1 C in the southern province of South Jeolla, 37.6 C in Gwangju, 34.5 C in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, and 34.6 C in the central province of South Chungcheong.

Seeking to escape the heat, people flocked to beaches, rivers, mountains and other cool places.

Daecheon Beach on the central western coast was bustling with about 100,000 holidaymakers as of late Saturday morning, while similar crowds were reported at the nation's other famous beaches, including Busan's Haeundae, Gwangalli and Songdo beaches.

People also streamed into renowned mountain valleys nationwide, including those at Mount Yumyeong, east of Seou; Mount Wolak and Mount Songni, both in North Chungcheong Province; and Mount Jiri near the southern coast.

Festival sites across the nation were also a magnate for holidaymakers.

Tourists who visited the cultural village of Hwacheon, Gangwon Province, where the 2017 Hwacheon Tomato Festival was in full swing, crushed tomatoes with their feet and enjoyed other festival events.

Beer enthusiasts from across the country gathered at the Hongcheon Beer Festival in the namesake city of Gangwon Province to drink cold beer.

The nation is expected to take a brief relief from the sweltering heat over the next few days, as a strong typhoon is expected to reach the southern and eastern coastal areas Sunday, bringing strong winds and heavy rains.

Typhoon Noru, the season's fifth typhoon, was heading north toward Japan's island of Kyushu with a maximum wind speed of 40 meters per second and an atmospheric pressure of 955 hectopascals near its center, the KMA said.

In anticipation of the typhoon, about 2,000 ships took shelter at ports on Jeju Island, while Busan's officials were to remove major equipment from Haeundae and other beaches.

"Typhoon Noru is expected to move toward Japan, putting Busan under indirect influence. But we'll take all safety measures to minimize damage," a Busan municipal official said. (Yonhap)