Seoul, July 26 (IANS) Most regions in South Korea continued to experience scorching heat on Saturday, with heat wave alerts issued across the country.
As of 1 pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) had issued heat wave warnings for Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan, the provinces of Gyeonggi and Chungcheong, and other areas.
The KMA also issued heat wave advisories for other parts of the country, including some parts of the eastern Gangwon Province, most of the southern resort island of Jeju, and the easternmost islands of Ulleung and Dokdo.
A heat wave warning is issued when the maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain above 35 degrees Celsius for two or more days or the heat is expected to cause large-scale damage, while a heat wave advisory is issued when the day’s highest sensible temperature is expected to remain at 33 degrees Celsius or above for two or more days.
The apparent temperature in Seoul had surpassed the 35 degrees Celsius mark as of 1 p.m., with the mercury rising above 37 degrees Celsius in the western city of Paju.
The KMA said Saturday’s maximum temperatures are expected to range from 32 degrees Celsius to 38 degrees Celsius, much higher than the seasonal average of 27.5 degrees Celsius to 32.1 degrees Celsius, advising people to take extra care of their health and avoid outdoor activities.
The heat wave is expected to continue into Sunday, with the highest daily temperature forecast to range from 32 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius, according to the weather agency, Yonhap news agency reported.
Earlier on July 24, a heat wave warning was issued for all of Seoul, putting the capital city back under the highest-level heat notice for the first time in 11 days.
Previously a heat wave warning was in place over Seoul from July 7-13, when the notice was brought down a notch to an “advisory,” which is issued when the maximum apparent temperature is forecast to remain above 33 degrees Celsius for at least two consecutive days.
–IANS
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