South Korea records highest temperature of 42.5°C since records began

South Korea has recorded its highest temperature ever, 42.5°C (108.5F), in the city of Yangsan amid an intense heatwave. The event prompted emergency alerts across the country, where the annual number of heatwave days has more than doubled since the 1970s. Scientists attribute the increasing frequency and intensity of such events to human-driven climate change, as similar extreme weather affects Japan, Europe, and the US.

South Korea record temperature

• ▪The record temperature was registered in the southeastern city of Yangsan at 1:26pm local time on August 2, 2026
• ▪In Yangsan, temperatures exceeded 40°C for five consecutive days leading up to the record high
• ▪South Korea recorded its highest temperature of 42.5°C (108.5F) since national weather records began more than a century ago

Heatwave alert system

• ▪An emergency alert is issued when forecasts predict a perceived temperature of at least 38°C or an actual temperature of 39°C for one day
• ▪South Korea introduced a new emergency heatwave alert category in 2026 to address rising temperatures
• ▪Heat warnings were in effect across much of South Korea, with over 20 localities under emergency heatwave alerts on August 2, 2026
• ▪A "tropical night" is defined by the Korea Meteorological Administration as a night when the temperature does not fall below 25°C
• ▪The Korea Meteorological Administration defines a "heatwave day" as one with a maximum temperature of at least 33°C

Climate change attribution

• ▪Scientists state that human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events like heatwaves more frequent, longer, and more intense
• ▪The average annual number of heatwave days in South Korea has more than doubled to 19 over the past five years, up from eight in the 1970s

Global extreme weather events

• ▪In Japan, authorities issued heatstroke alerts for 30 of the country's 47 prefectures due to severe heat
• ▪Wildfires fueled by high temperatures have affected parts of Greece, Spain, France, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco
• ▪A dangerous heatwave in the western United States has increased wildfire risks in drought-stricken areas
• ▪The record heat in South Korea occurred amid other climate extremes globally, including droughts, wildfires, and floods