▲ People visit a beach in Changwon, about 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as the nation faces earlier-than-usual hot weather on May 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

weather-heat

Early summer heat sweeps S. Korea, breaking mid-May temperature records

SEOUL, May 18 (Yonhap) -- Early summer heat gripped many parts of South Korea on Monday, with the inland city of Gimcheon logging temperatures higher than the heat wave threshold.

As of 2:40 p.m., temperatures in Gimcheon, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, stood at 36 C, higher than the 33 C threshold for a heat wave, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

Temperatures in the southeastern city of Gyeongju reached 35.9 C around the same time, marking a mid-May record since authorities began tracking temperatures in the city in August 2010.

Temperatures rose to 34.7 C in the nearby city of Daegu and to 32.4 C in the southwestern city of Gwangju, marking record mid-May highs for both cities.

The earlier-than-usual heat comes as South Korea has come under the influence of a high-pressure system, leading to clear skies without clouds.

As the high-pressure system moves eastward, however, more clouds are expected to form, with rainfall forecast from Wednesday to Thursday.

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