S. Korea wakes up to cooler mornings after weeks of extreme heat

After weeks of what felt like a nationwide sauna, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius in parts of Korea, the country is finally getting some relief from the heat, at least overnight.

Busan broke a 23-day streak of tropical nights — when temperatures remain at or above 25 degrees from 6 p.m. until 9 a.m. the following day — while Seoul entered its third consecutive night without tropical-night conditions Tuesday.

Seoul ended a 17-day run of tropical nights after its overnight low fell to 24.5 degrees early Sunday.

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The cooldown is set to become more noticeable Wednesday morning, with lows forecast to fall to around or below 20 degrees.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, Wednesday morning lows are forecast at 18 degrees in Chuncheon, 20 degrees in Daejeon and Daegu, 21 degrees in Gangneung and Gwangju and 22 degrees in Busan.

Seoul will see a morning low of 23 degrees.

The figures are around 1 to 3 degrees lower than the previous day.

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Temperatures will climb quickly during the day, with highs forecast at 33 degrees in Seoul and Incheon; 30 degrees in Chuncheon; 26 degrees in Gangneung; 31 degrees in Daejeon, Daegu and Busan; 33 degrees in Jeonju and Gwangju; and 30 degrees in Jeju.

The highest-level extreme heat warnings and second-level heat warnings issued during the peak of the heat wave have now been lifted, although lower-level advisories remain in effect across parts of the Seoul metropolitan area and in southern regions.

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Weather conditions in the coming days could also be influenced by Typhoon Chan-hom, the season’s 15th named storm. The typhoon is expected to strengthen as it passes near Japan on Tuesday before moving toward the East Sea and quickly weakening on Wednesday.

Under its currently projected path, the typhoon’s strong-wind radius is not expected to directly cover the Korean Peninsula. However, moisture left behind by the storm could be carried toward Korea on easterly winds, potentially affecting rainfall along the east coast and the surrounding pressure system. /dl