South Korea Issues Heatwave Warning as Tropical Nights Grip Nation

Much of South Korea, including all of Seoul, is under a "heatwave warning" as nighttime temperatures are expected to remain above 25 degrees Celsius. This marks the first "tropical night" of the summer for the capital region. The Korea Meteorological Administration issued the warning for Sunday afternoon, covering extensive areas of Gyeonggi Province, parts of Gangwon, Chungcheong, Jeonbuk, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, as well as Jeju Island and several other regions.

The meteorological agency introduced the "heatwave warning" system this year in response to a more than threefold increase in the average number of tropical nights nationwide over the past five years, compared to the 1970s. The warning is issued when nighttime temperatures are expected to exceed 25 degrees Celsius for more than one day, in areas already experiencing "heatwave advisories" where the apparent temperature reaches 33 degrees Celsius or higher for over two days.

For major cities with populations over 500,000, coastal areas, and islands, the threshold for issuing the warning is a nighttime low of 26 degrees Celsius, while for Jeju Island, it is 27 degrees Celsius. The agency is urging residents in affected areas to take precautions before sleeping, including checking and preparing indoor cooling or ventilation, drinking a glass of water, and contacting elderly or vulnerable neighbors to ensure their well-being.