Overview

• Seoul’s streak of 22 tropical nights has set a July record, with overnight lows never dropping below 29.3°C and a 23rd night expected if temperatures stay above 25°C.
• On July 30, Tamba city in Hyogo Prefecture recorded 41.2°C—the highest temperature ever logged in Japan—while Fukuchiyama and Nishiwaki also surpassed 40°C for the first time.
• South Korea has seen at least 16 deaths from heat-related illnesses and nearly 2,900 emergency room visits this year, marking a more than twofold increase in fatalities and a 2.6-fold jump in hospitalizations compared with last summer.
• The Korea Meteorological Administration warns the heat wave will intensify through the weekend with daytime highs reaching up to 38°C and tropical nights persisting under a double-layered high-pressure regime.
• Experts note that Asia is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average and that persistent overlaps of North Pacific and Tibetan highs are becoming more common under climate change.