Downtown Red-Hot... Seoul Exceeds 40°C for First Time in 8 Years

[Anchor]

Seoul's daytime temperature soared to 38°C (100°F), making it the fourth hottest day on record for the month of August since weather observations began. Nowon-gu even surpassed 40°C (104°F). Even the blowing wind was hot, making it feel as if the entire city had stepped into a traditional Korean sauna.

Our first report comes from reporter Im Jihyeon.

[Reporter]

Today, on the afternoon of August 7, we observed the intersection near Gangnam-gu Office Station in Seoul using a drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera.

Everything from the asphalt to the exterior walls of buildings was completely dyed in bright red.

The entire city looked like it had transformed into a giant furnace.

With ground and building temperatures soaring to a staggering 48°C (118°F), it was difficult to walk around without blocking the sun with a parasol.

[Won Jin-hee / Gangnam-gu, Seoul: I do not think there has been a week as hot as this. Is it not Ipchu (the beginning of autumn)? Making the term Ipchu meaningless, it seems like it will get even hotter for a while.]

Even the Han River, visited in hopes of a river breeze, was filled only with the heat of the intense heatwave.

The Han River resting areas, which would normally be crowded, were virtually empty of visitors due to the scorching weather.

People gathered in the shade under the bridge to escape the sun, if only for a moment,

[Kang Gwan-uk / Mapo-gu, Seoul: Even when the river breeze blows, it feels so hot, and my head hurts here.]

The suffocating heat has now reached a frightening level.

[Park Yun-o / Yangcheon-gu, Seoul: I walked for about 10 minutes just now, and it feels like a sauna or a steaming room, but I think it is even worse than that.]

Seoul's official daytime high reached 38°C (100°F) based on official weather observation posts.

It was recorded as the hottest day of this year and the fourth hottest day since weather observations began in 1908.

At 3:28 PM, the observation equipment installed in Nowon-gu recorded 40.2°C (104°F). This is the first time temperatures exceeding 40°C (104°F) have been observed in Seoul since August 2018.

Deokpung-dong in Hanam, Gyeonggi Province reached 40.8°C (105°F), Gwangyang in South Jeolla Province hit 40.2°C (104°F), and Daegu recorded 39.9°C (104°F), with peak temperatures hovering around or above 40°C across the country.

The Korea Meteorological Administration downgraded the severe heatwave warnings issued for most parts of the Seoul metropolitan area, western Gangwon Province, and the Honam region to regular heatwave warnings effective as of 6 PM today.

(Photo: Yonhap News) (Video by Choi Dae-woong | Video Editing by Park Ji-in)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.