First 10 days of August rank as hottest on record

Korea experienced its hottest summer this year, with the nationwide average temperature, excluding Jeju Island, reaching 29.1 C during the first 10 days of August, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). This is the highest on record since 1973, when the weather observation network was expanded nationwide. The 10-day average temperature for August in 2018 was also 29.1 C, making this year's reading the same as the previous year's.

The average daily maximum temperature during the same period was 34.4 C, which is the second highest on record, surpassed only by the 34.7 C recorded in 2018. The average daily minimum temperature, which indicates night heat, was 24.8 C, making it the third highest on record. The highest temperature recorded during this period was 42.5 C, observed in Yangsan, a southeastern city, at 1:26 p.m. on August 2. This is also the highest temperature recorded in the country since 1904, when modern meteorological observations began.