A heat wave is set to return as soon as the torrential rains recede. With heat alerts in effect for the southwestern part of Seoul as well as parts of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and South Gyeongsang provinces, a nationwide heat wave and tropical nights are expected from the weekend. The government and local authorities have launched efforts to prevent heat-related damage, including protecting vulnerable groups.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 10th, after the rain clouds retreat, the Korean Peninsula will come under the influence of a "dual high-pressure system," in which the North Pacific high-pressure system in the lower atmosphere overlaps with the Tibetan high-pressure system in the upper atmosphere. As hot air fails to escape, the heat is expected to persist for some time.
The perceived temperature in most regions will rise to around 31 degrees, while some areas under heat alerts may exceed 33 degrees. The heat wave advisory issued for the southwestern part of Seoul and parts of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, and South Gyeongsang provinces may expand to most of the country next week.
At night, hot and humid southwesterly winds will flow in and water vapor in the atmosphere will trap heat, increasing the number of areas experiencing tropical nights, where the lowest temperature stays at or above 25 degrees. The tropical night advisory issued for Gyeongsan and Pohang in North Gyeongsang, the central and northern parts of Gyeongju, and eastern Jeju may also expand to other regions.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety held a heat wave response review meeting on the same day, joined by related ministries and 16 cities and provinces. With the risk of heat-related illness rising due to high humidity after the rain, the ministry called for stepped-up monitoring of the elderly, farmers, and outdoor workers, and for using local safety networks to regularly check on vulnerable groups.
The ministry plans to strengthen patrols of outdoor worksites and farmland, centered on the Gyeongsang region, and to extend the operating hours of cooling shelters and heat-mitigation facilities.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government also activated a comprehensive heat wave support situation room. Together with 25 autonomous districts and related agencies, it will review weather conditions, damage status, and the protection of vulnerable groups, and require districts under heat alerts to maintain their own situation rooms and stockpile cooling and emergency relief supplies. Cooling shelters, such as district government buildings, will be operated around the clock for citizens who have difficulty accessing air conditioning.
