Sweltering heat wave to continue through next week

A sweltering heat wave is gripping most of Korea, with temperatures reaching up to 39 degrees Celsius in some areas, a day after Busan recorded its hottest day in 122 years on Wednesday.

Most of the country remains under heat wave alerts, with some areas under heat wave emergency warnings, as officials urged the public to avoid daytime outdoor activities.

Extreme heat and sweltering nights are expected to persist into next week.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), morning lows are expected to range between 21 and 28 degrees Celsius, while daytime highs climb to between 32 and 39 degrees, with temperatures projected to stay above average in the days ahead.

In particular, the southeastern part of the country — including parts of Busan and South Gyeongsang Province's Yangsan, Changwon, Gimhae, Miryang, Uireong and Changnyeong — faces the most severe conditions, with daytime sensible temperatures expected to exceed 38 degrees and air temperatures reaching 39 degrees.

As of 11 a.m.

Thursday, temperatures had already reached 35.8 degrees in Yangsan and 32.9 degrees ...