Overview
- Yangsan recorded 42.5°C on Sunday, August 2, 2026, a reading the Korea Meteorological Administration confirmed as the highest temperature in South Korea’s observational record.
- The KMA says the extreme heat grew from persistent high pressure aloft and at middle levels that built a deep layer of hot air over the peninsula.
- The Busan regional office placed Yangsan in the expanded system’s highest warning tier on July 25 and national authorities have kept southern areas under heat warnings while running an elevated disaster response.
- Health services reported thousands of heat-related treatments and a rising number of suspected heat-linked deaths through late July, and officials have canceled outdoor events and warned of risks to electricity, air-conditioner fires, agriculture, and outdoor workers.
- Forecasters expect continued extreme daytime heat and tropical-night conditions across the south with short-term uncertainty because nearby Typhoon Dolphin could temporarily bring humidity, clouds or rain that alter temperatures.