{
  "id": 35488,
  "title": "South Korea records its highest-ever temperature of 42.5°C",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/02/south-korea-records-its-highest-ever-temperature-of-42-5-c-35488",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-02T06:31:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2020115/south-korea-records-its-highest-ever-temperature-of-425c"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "South Korea experienced its highest-ever recorded temperature of 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The southeastern city of Yangsan witnessed the scorching heat at 1:26pm local time, marking the fifth consecutive day temperatures there surpassed 40°C. The KMA has issued heat warnings for much of South Korea, with many cities experiencing temperatures reaching the high 30s. To address the rising temperatures, the KMA introduced a new emergency heatwave alert category this year, triggered when areas are forecast to reach perceived temperatures of 38°C or an actual temperature of 39°C. Experts warn that extreme weather events like heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense due to human-induced climate change, with the average annual number of heatwave days in South Korea more than doubling to 19 over the past five years.",
  "summary": "South Korea has recorded its highest-ever temperature of 42.5°C, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The southeastern city of Yangsan experienced the scorching heat, with temperatures reaching 42.5°C at 1:26pm local time. This marks the fifth consecutive day that temperatures in Yangsan have exceeded 40°C. The heatwave has prompted the issuance of emergency heatwave alerts for over 20 localities, with perceived temperatures forecast to reach 38°C or actual temperatures of 39°C. The KMA notes that the average annual number of heatwave days in South Korea has more than doubled in the past five years, from eight in the 1970s to 19 currently. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events to human-induced climate change.",
  "key_points": [
    "South Korea recorded highest temperature at 42.5°C.",
    "Yangsan city hit 42.5°C at 1:26pm local time.",
    "KMA issued heat warnings for much of South Korea."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}