 |
| A digital thermometer in Seongdong-gu, eastern Seoul, shows the temperature at 35 degrees Celsius, Monday, as a deadly heat wave continues to grip Korea. / Yonhap |
By Kang Seung-woo
Drastic hot weather is roasting the entire nation this summer, as the country had its hottest morning in 111 years, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Monday.
Plus, as the deadly heat wave is forecast to continue, this year may go down as the hottest summer on record, replacing 1994 when about 3,000 people died of heat or heat-related causes.
According to the KMA, Monday's morning temperature in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, registered 31 degrees Celsius, marking the highest since modern meteorological observation began in 1907.
Also, it is the second time for the country to witness its morning high surpassing 30 degrees, with the previous record of 30.9 degrees also being in the eastern coastal city on Aug. 8, 2013.
Seoul also recorded 29.2 degrees in the morning, also the highest in its history, trailed by 28.8 degrees on Aug. 15, 1994, and 28.7 degrees on Aug. 2, 2014. The capital's high hit 38 degrees at midday, Sunday, the third-hottest for July and the fifth in history since 1907.
Other notable mentions for the morning temperatures were 29.3 degrees in Uljin, 29.2 degrees on Ulleung Island, 29 degrees in Pohang and 28.2 degrees in Suwon.
Since the rainy season came to an end earlier this month, the record-breaking hot spell is expected to last for over 10 days more.
Between 1981 and 2010, the daytime highs in July were 33 degrees or higher for four days on average, but the number of such days stood at 18.3 in 1994, raising speculation that this year is on track to become the record-breaking hottest year to date.
"Without rain to cool things down, heat-carrying high pressure from Tibet, accompanied by the North Pacific high, are expanding over the Korean Peninsula, resulting in the scorching heat wave," a KMA official said.
In particular, this year falls in the 10-year cycle of high pressure from the North Pacific region to exceptionally develop _ a situation adding further hot weather to the peninsula.
Plus, Typhoon Ampil, initially forecast to bring rainfall to ease the current hot weather, bypassed the peninsula.
According to the weather agency, no rain is forecast until Aug. 2, with only scattered showers in some areas due to the North Pacific high, with the temperature averages expected to be lows of 20 to 24 degrees and highs of 27 to 33 degrees during the period.
Making the situation worse, the country may see daytime highs exceeding 40 degrees this summer, given the latest trend.
So far, Daegu, notorious for its scorching hot weather, is the only city in Korea to see the mercury rise up to 40 degrees on Aug. 1, 1942.
In this regard, the government is expected to designate heat waves as natural disasters in a bid to beef up its response to the phenomenon.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, natural events, including typhoons, floods, torrential rains, heavy snowfall, drought and earthquakes are regarded as natural disasters.
Thus far, 1,000 people have been hospitalized due to heat-related illnesses, with 10 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About half of them, 556, were in the last week.
