Daytime high in Yeoju reaches 40 degrees, causing surge in heat-related illnesses

A forecaster shows the status of the heat wave at the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Meteorology in Gwonseon-gu, Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. Yonhap News

The daytime high temperature in Jumdong-myeon, Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, reached 40 degrees Celsius on August 4. It is the first time in five years since 2019 that the temperature has been above 40 degrees. The heat wave is leading to casualties, with three estimated deaths from heat diseases occurring in a single day on the 3rd. The soaring daytime highs and tropical nights are expected to continue until around Independence Day, which falls on August 15.

At around 3:33 p.m. on the day, an automatic weather monitoring device installed in Jumdong-myeon recorded 40 degrees. Temperatures in the 40s were also unofficially recorded in Geumsa-myeon, Yeoju, and Ojeon-dong, Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. According to the data released by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the last time the country saw temperatures in the 40s was six years ago in August 2018. At that time, temperatures rose above 40 degrees in Hongseong, Northern Chuncheon, Uijeongseong, Yangpyeong, Chungju, and Uijeongseong. Before 2018, the only record of a high temperature exceeding 40 degrees was in Daegu on August 1, 1942. The most recent record above 40 degrees was 40.2 degrees on August 5, 2019, in Gosam-myeon, Anseong, Gyeonggi Province, according to the data by local governments.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, 11 people were presumed to have died from heat-related illnesses between May 20, when the operation of the thermal disease monitoring system began, and August 3. About half of them died on August 2 (two people) and August 3 (three). Last week alone, there were nearly 400 cases of heat illness.

The KMA attributes the heat wave to the stronger-than-usual development of the Tibetan and North Pacific high pressures, which double-covered the Korean Peninsula. The two high pressures formed in the upper and lower layers of the atmosphere, respectively, and covered the Korean Peninsula like a quilt, and the heated air could not escape, causing the temperature to continue to rise. Heat continues to accumulate as hot and humid air flows through the edge of the Pacific high pressure.

Some predict this summer will be as hot as 2018. Back then, two overlapping high pressures caused a sharp rise in temperatures, and this year could be similarly hot. Considering that high pressure rarely peaks in early August, it is possible that this year could be even hotter than 2018.

The KMA predicted that the heat wave would last for about 10 days.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.