Seoul experienced a tropical night on Monday, with night-time temperatures remaining above 25°C [1].
The return of high overnight temperatures signals a persistence of late-summer heat that disrupts sleep patterns and increases the risk of heat-related illness across the peninsula.
Weather caster Won I-da said the minimum temperature in Seoul reached 25.4°C [1]. This marks the first tropical night for the capital in nine days [1]. In South Korea, a tropical night is defined as any night where the temperature does not drop below 25°C [1].
Most of the country is currently under a heat-wave warning, with the exception of the Gangwon mountain areas [1]. The high humidity and temperature levels are expected to continue throughout the day. Won said the highest perceived temperature in Seoul will reach 34°C [1].
Conditions are forecast to be more severe in other regions. In Gwangju and Daegu, where heat-wave warnings remain in effect, perceived temperatures are expected to soar to 36°C [1].
While the heat dominates the forecast, the weather service also expects inland showers to occur [1]. These showers may provide temporary relief, but the overarching pattern of high daytime heat and humid nights persists across the southern coast, and Jeju Island [1].
Won said that tropical nights appeared in several urban centers and coastal areas over the previous night [1].
“Seoul experienced a tropical night on Monday, with night-time temperatures remaining above 25°C.”
The recurrence of tropical nights in late August suggests a prolonged summer season in South Korea. When overnight temperatures fail to drop, the human body cannot recover from daytime heat stress, which typically leads to increased energy consumption for cooling and a higher incidence of heat exhaustion in urban heat islands like Seoul.
