(Seoul) The South Korean capital Seoul recorded its 26the “tropical night” in a row, a phenomenon where the temperature does not drop below 25 degrees between sunset and sunrise, something never seen since meteorological observations began in 1907, according to official data.
Such a series had already been measured in 2018, but the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) considers that of 2024 as a record.
“The cold air is not coming from the north and as we are affected by the warmer southwest side, the temperature is continuously recorded at around 25 degrees Celsius or above,” Youn Ki-han, director of Seoul’s weather forecasting division, told AFP.
Nighttime temperatures in Seoul have not dropped below 26.8 degrees Celsius for 26 days in a row.
The high overnight temperatures are expected to continue, the KMA’s Seoul office said, setting a new record each day through next week, according to the forecast.
Much of the world is enduring a summer of intense heat. In July, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of an “extreme heat epidemic” and called for action to limit the impact of heatwaves enhanced by climate change.