Korea sweats through record-breaking tropical nights as heat wave takes grip

The nation is grappling with tropical nights, with some cities in Gangwon suffering through nighttime temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Residents cool off from the heat at a pool in Sincheon, Daegu, where Monday’s daytime high is forecast to reach 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). [YONHAP]

The nation is grappling with tropical nights, with some cities in Gangwon suffering through nighttime temperatures of more than 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).

Hot and humid southerly winds, driven by the North Pacific anticyclone, swept in on Sunday night and the trapped daytime heat led most areas across the country, including Seoul, to experience tropical nights as of 6 a.m. Monday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

A tropical night occurs when temperatures remain at 25 degrees or above from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., according to the weather agency.

This summer season has already matched the number of tropical nights recorded in 2018, one of the hottest summers on record, with 7.1 days.

This year's number falls 1.5 days short of the 1994 record of 8.6 days, the highest ever documented.

With just two days remaining in July, this summer is expected to surpass the 2018 record and could potentially replace the 1994 record.

On Monday morning, Sokcho in Gangwon set a record with a nighttime low of 30.6 degrees Celsius, marking the highest minimum temperature ever recorded there. Gangneung also saw a record-high low of 30.4 degrees Celsius, what is known as the "super tropical night."

If temperatures stay above 30 degrees throughout the night, it is often called a super tropical night.

Gangneung experienced its 10th consecutive tropical night on Monday.

The two cities' super tropical nights on Monday morning marked the first time such events have been recorded in July. Typically, super tropical nights occur in early August.

Donghae, Yeongwol and Bonghwa also set records with lows of 29.8, 26.1 and 24.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Seoul's nighttime low was 27.2 degrees Celsius, Incheon 26.6 degrees and Seogwipo 27.3 degrees.

Cloudy weather is expected throughout the day across most of the nation. Pockets of rain are forecast for the greater Seoul area, as well as parts of Gyeonggi, Gangwon and North Chungcheong until Tuesday, according to the KMA.

UDPATE July 29 : Information added about the hot summers of 2018 and 1994 and Korea's super tropical nights on Monday.

BY WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]