South Korea swelters with ‘tropical nights’ record in sight

People walk though a water mist on a hot day in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. Associated Press

SEOUL — A streak of super-hot tropical nights is set to break a century-old South Korean weather record, according to official data released Wednesday, as the peninsula bakes in a prolonged heat wave.

The so-called tropical nights phenomenon refers to when the temperature does not drop below 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) overnight, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Seoul experienced its 24th consecutive tropical night into Wednesday, marking the second-longest streak since modern weather observation began in 1907.

READ: South Korea records hottest April in half a century

With forecasters saying the heatwave is set to continue, the country will likely break the record — 26 consecutive days — by Saturday.

The prolonged heatwave has gripped much of the country, driving electricity demand to an all-time high.

Maximum demand reached 102.3 gigawatts on Monday, surpassing the previous record of 100.5 gigawatts set last August, according to the Korea Power Exchange.

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The intense heat has also led to the cancellation of three professional baseball games this month, the first such cancellations in the league’s 43-year history.

The average number of “extreme heat” days experienced by South Korean cities has doubled over the last two decades, Greenpeace Korea said this week.

“This clearly illustrates the rising temperatures globally, leading to greater uncertainty and more widespread damage,” said Greenpeace activist Lee Sun-ju.

The average global temperature over the past 12 months (July 2023 to June 2024) is the highest ever recorded, according to the European Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Scientists emphasize that repeated heatwaves are a hallmark of global warming linked to climate change.