People seeking relief from the ongoing heat wave flock to Eurwangni Beach in Incheon, Wednesday. Yonhap
An unprecedented early-fall heat wave continued across the country, with tropical nights and record-breaking temperatures persisting into September. This heat wave is expected to ease over the weekend following rainfall, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Thursday.
A nationwide rainfall is forecast to begin on Friday, driven by a stationary front, following a heat wave that saw temperatures hovering around 35 degrees Celsius the previous day.
The KMA explained that cold air from the north, which had been blocked by the Tibetan anticyclone, will push southward as the anticyclone weakens. The collision of cold and warm air flows is predicted to bring heavy rainfall nationwide, particularly on the east coast and Jeju Island.
Heavy rain is expected between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, with 30 to 50 millimeters per hour forecast in central regions of the Korean Peninsula.
By Saturday, total precipitation is projected to reach up to 250 millimeters along the east coast and mountainous regions of Gangwon Province and up to 150 millimeters in North Chungcheong Province and northern North Gyeongsang Province. The metropolitan area including Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, along with South Chungcheong Province and inland regions of Gangwon Province, is expected to experience up to 120 millimeters of rainfall.
Following the rainfall, the prolonged late-season heat wave is expected to ease as changing atmospheric pressure around the peninsula allows cold air to flow in. Clear weather is also forecast for next week.
Temperatures will drop compared to Thursday, with Friday's lowest temperature expected to range from 23 to 27 degrees Celsius, and Saturday's lows between 16 and 26 degrees. Highs are expected to reach 26 to 32 degrees on Friday and 19 to 30 degrees on Saturday, still remaining above seasonal averages.
Additionally, the KMA advised the public to take precautions regarding their health, as the temperature difference between day and night is expected to be around 10 degrees nationwide in most regions over the coming weeks.
This year has seen the longest heat wave and highest number of tropical nights ever recorded, with the latest heat wave alerts issued across the country.
As of Thursday morning, heat wave alerts were in effect in 166 areas, covering 91 percent of the 183 regions under special weather advisories nationwide. This included 125 heat wave warnings and 41 heat wave advisories.
In Seoul, a heat wave advisory was upgraded to a warning in the southwestern part of the city at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, with the rest of the city placed under a warning by 2 p.m. the same day.
The heat wave alert issued on Sept. 10 in the capital was the first one declared there during September since the heat wave alert system was introduced in 2008.
Tropical nights have also set new records. Seoul's overnight low from Wednesday to Thursday morning was 25.6 degrees Celsius, the latest for this time of year. Additionally, Jeju Island has recorded 73 tropical nights this year, the longest streak on record.
The KMA announced that most heat wave alerts had been lifted by 4 p.m. on Thursday.