South Korea raises heat alert as record temps spread west

South Korea is enduring a record-breaking heat wave that has shifted westward after setting a new national temperature record in the southeast, prompting a nationwide emergency response as the toll of heat-related illnesses and deaths continues to rise. The city of Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province recorded a temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, August 2, marking the highest reading since the country began keeping weather records 122 years ago.

As of Monday, August 3, the most intense heat has moved toward the western and central regions, including the greater Seoul area. Severe heat wave warnings, the highest alert level, remained in effect for parts of the Gyeongsang region and South Jeolla Province, while heat warnings covered most of the rest of the country. Daegu reached 40.9 degrees Celsius on Monday, while Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province hit 41.1 degrees. Seoul recorded a high of 37.2 degrees Celsius, with the capital experiencing its 12th consecutive tropical night, defined as an overnight temperature that does not fall below 25 degrees Celsius.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters raised the national heat response to Level 2 on...