South Korea and Japan warn of record heat

South Korea and Japan are experiencing their hottest summers on record, with record high temperatures, hot days and intense tropical nights, reflecting the impact of climate change.

South Koreans seek shelter from the intense summer heat - Photo: YONHAP

According to Yonhap News Agency on September 1, South Korea is experiencing its hottest summer ever due to the effects of prolonged heat waves, combined with the impact of the North Pacific high pressure and Tibetan high pressure.

Accordingly, the Korea Meteorological Administration said the average temperature across the country from June 1 to August 31 reached 25.7 degrees Celsius, surpassing the record of 25.6 degrees Celsius in 2024.

This figure also marks the summer of 2025 as the hottest summer since 1973 - when South Korea began collecting meteorological data.

The average daily high temperature also reached 30.7 degrees Celsius, the highest in summer since 1973.

In addition, the country recorded an average of 28.1 hot days - days with the highest daily temperature exceeding 33 degrees Celsius, the third highest in history after 31 days in 2018 and 28.5 days in 1994.

In addition, South Korea also had 15.5 tropical nights, ranking fourth in history, after 20.2 days in 2024 and 16.5 days in 2018 and 1994.

Tropical night is a phenomenon where nighttime temperatures remain above 25 degrees Celsius.

In terms of rainfall, the average rainfall across the country this summer reached 619.5mm, equivalent to about 85% of the annual average of 727.3mm.

Gangwon Province alone, which is currently suffering from drought, recorded just 232.5mm of rain, the lowest since 1973, and 85mm lower than the previous record of 317.5mm in 1997.

Temperatures around the world have been soaring in recent years, as climate change creates more unusual weather patterns.

Not only Korea, Japan also experienced the hottest summer in history since meteorological data collection began in 1898, according to CNA.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the country's average temperature from June to August was “2.36 degrees Celsius higher than the standard”.

Although it did not disclose the specific new temperature mark, the agency said this was the third consecutive summer to record high temperatures.

According to the Japan Fire and Disaster Management Agency, from May 1 to August 24 this year, severe heat caused 84,521 people nationwide to be hospitalized, a slight increase compared to 83,414 cases in the same period last year.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/han-quoc-nhat-ban-bao-dong-nang-nong-ky-luc-20250902155610161.htm