South Korea has hottest day on record amid extreme weather globally

South Korea has experienced record-breaking heat as an intense heatwave swept across the nation. The southeastern city of Yangsan reached 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, marking the highest temperature in the country's recorded history spanning more than 100 years. This extreme reading came on the fifth consecutive day that temperatures in the same city exceeded 40 degrees Celsius.

The scale of the heat emergency prompted authorities to activate emergency heatwave alerts across more than 20 localities. This alert category was introduced this year in response to increasingly severe summer conditions, and is triggered when forecasts predict either a perceived temperature of at least 38°C or an actual temperature of 39°C or higher for a single day. Heat warnings remained in effect across much of the country, with many cities experiencing temperatures in the upper 30s.

Data from the Korea Meteorological Administration reveals a troubling long-term trend. The average annual number of heatwave days has more than doubled over the past five years to 19 days, compared with an average of eight days during the 1970s. The agency defines a heatwave day as one in which the maximum temperature reaches at least 33°C.

The extreme conditions in South Korea are part of a broader global pattern of severe weather. Japan has issued heatstroke alerts for 30 of its 47 prefectures, while Europe has experienced significant wildfires in Greece, Spain, and France driven by high temperatures and strong winds. North Africa faces major wildfires in Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, with Tunisia deploying international firefighting aircraft. The western United States is also gripped by a dangerous heatwave with forecasters warning of potential record-breaking temperatures and heightened wildfire risks.

Scientists have linked the increasing frequency, duration, and intensity of heatwaves and other extreme weather events to climate change driven by human activity.