Second heat wave advisory issued for Seoul, 70 regions now included

A heat wave advisory was issued for Seoul for the second consecutive day on Thursday.

A tiger uses water to cool off from the heat at Everland, an amusement park in Yongin, Gyeonggi on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

A heat wave advisory was issued for Seoul for the second consecutive day on Thursday, while the first heat wave warning of the summer season took effect in parts of Gyeonggi.

A heat wave warning was issued at 10 a.m. in Gapyeong, Goyang, Yongin and Anseong in Gyeonggi, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

Gyeonggi was expected to see temperatures ranging from 31 degrees Celsius to 36 degrees Celsius (88 and 97 degrees Fahrenheit).

At 9 a.m., a heat wave advisory was issued in Seoul and 70 other regions across the country. Other regions under advisory include parts of Gangwon, North Chungcheong, North Jeolla and North Gyeongsang, as well as Daegu and Daejeon.

According to the weather agency, heat wave advisories are issued when the daily high heat index is expected to reach 33 degrees Celsius or higher for two consecutive days. However, heat wave warnings are issued when the daily maximum temperature of more than 35 degrees Celsius is expected for over two days.

The weather agency advised the public to avoid outdoor activities and take precautions against food poisoning due to the high likelihood of heat-related illnesses during the sweltering weather.

Specifically, infants, the elderly and chronically ill individuals should limit their time outside. Outdoor workers should ensure they have access to cold water and rest in cool areas.

While the heat wave will continue to affect the central regions, Jeju Island is hit by monsoon rains.

A fire official unclogs sewage on Sehwa-ri Street in Seogwipo, Jeju, which had been flodded due to monsoon rains on Thursday. [JEJU FIRE DEPARTMENT]

A heavy rain advisory was issued on Jeju, with some areas elevated to a heavy rain warning. The island is forecast to receive between 50 and 100 millimeters of rain (two to four inches), with some areas potentially seeing up to 200 millimeters until Friday morning. The northern regions of Mount Halla saw heavy rain of 30 to 50 millimeters per hour as of 1:30 p.m., while other areas received 20 to 30 millimeters of rain per hour, according to the Jeju weather agency.

A heavy rain advisory is issued when precipitation is expected to exceed 70 millimeters in six hours or 110 millimeters in 12 hours, while a warning is issued when expected to surpass 110 millimeters in six hours or 180 millimeters in 12 hours.

The heavy rain has led to flooding in some areas. Three reports of flood damage were received by Jeju's fire authorities as of 1:50 p.m. At 12:05 p.m., flooding was reported on a street in Seogwipo, the second largest city on the island, and an underground cafe reported water flooding to ankle depth.

Rainfall and thick clouds are expected to lower temperatures by two to six degrees Celsius in the southern regions including South Jeolla, South Gyeongsang and Jeju.

The gloomy weather is due to low atmospheric pressure near Shanghai, China. Rain is expected to taper off later in the day.

Additionally, mountainous areas of Jeju were issued a strong wind advisory.

BY CHO MOON-GYU, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]