SEOUL: A record heatwave is gripping the Korean peninsula, sending temperatures soaring across South Korea and North Korea as authorities expand emergency measures and residents seek relief in cooling shelters, beaches and water parks.Forecasters said on Monday (Aug 3) that extreme heat, previously concentrated in South Korea's southeast, was spreading into the Seoul metropolitan area and other western regions. North Korean state media also reported temperatures approaching 40°C in parts of the country and a fifth straight tropical night in Pyongyang.South Korea's weather agency warned temperatures could rise further in western regions this week.Data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency from Sunday showed 14 had died and 1,889 people had suffered heat-related illnesses since mid-May.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Yangsan recorded 42.5°C on Sunday, the highest temperature measured in 122 years of weather observations. The southeastern city had already broken the national record on the two preceding days.
Children play in the water to cool down at Cheonggye stream during a heatwave warning in Seoul, South Korea, on Aug 3, 2026. (Photo: Reuters/Kim Hong-ji)
