South Korea hits 42.5°C, its highest temperature since records began in 1904

Record temperature

South Korea registered its highest temperature since measurements began in 1904 on Sunday, when the southeastern city of Yangsan hit 42.5°C at 1:26 pm local time, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) reported. The previous official national record was 41.0°C at Hongcheon on 1 August 2018, which Yangsan itself broke on 31 July with 41.4°C and again on 1 August with 41.6°C. The city has been the epicentre of a prolonged heatwave, exceeding 40°C for a fifth consecutive day. Other major cities, including Daegu and Busan, recorded highs in the upper 30s.

Government response

More than 20 localities were placed under emergency heatwave alerts on Sunday, a new warning tier introduced this year to cope with rising temperatures. Introduced on 1 June 2026 in the first overhaul of the warning system in about 18 years, the maximum alert is activated when a region has had perceived temperatures of at least 35°C for two consecutive days and is forecast to reach a perceived temperature of at least 38°C, or an actual temperature of at least 39°C, for at least one further day. It was first triggered on 12 July. Much of the country was under heatwave warnings. The KMA issues them by forecast zone rather than by city, and there are 235 such zones nationwide. The government raised its disaster response to Level 2 on Sunday in response to the intensifying heat wave and feared drought damage in certain areas, and Prime Minister Han Seong-sook ordered officials to prepare thoroughly for both and to act swiftly. On Friday she had already called on citizens to avoid outdoor activities. The KMA urged people to "immediately stop all outdoor activities," warning that "indoor spaces without air conditioning are dangerous." It advised: "Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting."

Daily life disrupted

Residents flocked to air-conditioned shopping malls and cafes to escape the heat. Ju Dong-yeol, a 27-year-old office worker, told AFP from a Starbucks in Seoul:

It is too hot to be outside doing anything. I can't think of anything else to do other than stay in air-conditioned places like home, shopping malls and cafes.

The heat also forced the cancellation of a professional baseball game in Changwon, where the temperature reached 39.5°C. It was the second consecutive game called off in the city. The Korea Baseball Organization stated that "the decision was made with the safety and health of spectators and players as the top priority, as a severe heatwave warning remains in effect for the Changwon area."

Climate trends

KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days, defined as days with a maximum temperature of at least 33°C, has more than doubled to 19 over the past five years, from eight in the 1970s. Scientists warn that human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and intense.

The record in South Korea follows a series of national heat records in Europe in late June. Germany set a national record at the end of June, beating the 41.2°C of 2019; its weather service DWD gives the provisional figure as 41.7°C at Neißemünde-Coschen on 28 June, while a widely reported 41.8°C at Möckern-Drewitz was later revised down. Absolute national records also fell in Denmark on 27 June, in the Czech Republic and Poland on 28 June, and in Slovakia and Hungary on 30 June, with Luxembourg reporting a record on 27 June on its agricultural weather network. Austria narrowly missed its 2013 record but recorded its warmest night ever at 27.3°C in Vienna. The heatwave in South Korea is expected to persist into next week, according to forecasts.