Korea faces sweltering weekend with tropical nights as monsoon retreats

A pedestrian walks with a parasol at Dongdaegu Station Plaza in the southeastern city of Daegu, Friday, as a heat wave advisory remains in effect for the city. Yonhap

As the summer monsoon begins to retreat from the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bracing for an extended spell of intense heat, with daytime temperatures forecast to soar to as high as 38 degrees Celsius over the weekend and heat wave alerts expected to expand across much of the country.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Friday, rain will linger through the morning in parts of the greater Seoul area, Gangwon Province and Jeju Island, before largely clearing by the afternoon.

Once the rain clouds move out, oppressive heat is expected to set in quickly.

Heat wave advisories are already in effect for parts of South Jeolla Province, Gyeongsang Provinces and Jeju Island and the KMA expects the warnings to be extended to additional regions in the coming days.

Beginning Friday, daytime temperatures in most parts of the country are forecast to exceed 30 degrees Celsius, with the heat index reaching around 31 degrees. In areas under heat wave advisories, the perceived temperature could rise to about 33 degrees.

The KMA forecasts daytime highs of 28 to 34 degrees on Friday, climbing to 29 to 37 degrees on Saturday and 30 to 38 degrees on Sunday. The extreme heat is expected to persist into early next week, with inland North Gyeongsang Province forecast to reach 38 degrees, while Seoul is expected to see highs of around 33 degrees.

The heat will offer little relief after sunset.

The KMA said tropical nights — when overnight temperatures remain above 25 degrees Celsius — are likely across most of the country, except in mountainous areas, for the time being. Tropical night advisories are currently in effect for parts of North Gyeongsang Province, including Gyeongsan, Pohang and Gyeongju, as well as eastern Jeju City, prompting authorities to urge residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses.