South Korea records its highest-ever temperature of 42.5°C

South Korea shattered its all-time high temperature record this Sunday, registering a scorching 42.5°C in the southeastern city of Yangsan, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Yangsan has been the focal point of an intense heatwave that has seen temperatures exceed 40°C for five straight days. The Korean state weather agency has issued emergency heatwave alerts for over 20 localities, a new warning level introduced this year.

A heatwave alert is activated when forecasted perceived temperatures reach 38°C or actual temperatures hit 39°C for a single day. The frequency of heatwave days in South Korea has more than doubled in the past five years, now averaging 19 annually compared to just eight in the 1970s. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events to human-induced climate change.