A child plays in a water fountain at a park in Gwangju, Aug. 4. Yonhap

The current heat wave, accompanied by tropical nights and daily highs nearing 40 degrees Celsius, is expected to continue for at least another 10 days, the weather agency said Sunday.

On Sunday, temperatures in Yeoju, 64 kilometers southeast of Seoul, rose as high as to 40 degrees, marking the first time since 2018, as special heat wave warnings were in effect across the country. The previous day, the southern city of Yangsan recorded its highest temperature at 39.3 degrees.

Gangneung on the upper east coast recorded its 16th consecutive tropical night on Sunday.

The Korea Meteorological Administration predicted that daytime temperatures will remain above average, ranging from 30 degrees and 36 degrees across the country during the week leading up to Aug. 14, continuing the ongoing heat wave.

Some parts of the country may also experience consecutive tropical nights.

If temperatures rise further, this summer could match the extreme heat of 2018, which was the hottest on record, with the highest daily temperature of 41 degrees observed in Hongcheon, 80 km east of Seoul that year. (Yonhap)