South Korea has shattered a 117-year record for the number of sweltering nights in July amid a scorching heatwave.
Temperatures in Seoul did not dip below 29.3 degrees Celsius (84.7 degrees Fahrenheit) overnight, marking the 22nd “tropical night” so far this month, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on Thursday.
The KMA defines a tropical night as occurring when temperatures stay above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) from 6:01pm to 9am the following day.
The number of tropical nights in July is the highest since records began in 1908.
The previous record for July was 21 tropical nights, set in 1994.
South Korea has been grappling with blistering heat over the past week, with daily temperatures surpassing 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some parts of the country.
At least 16 people have died from heat-related illnesses so far this year, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).
The milestone continues a recent trend of scorching temperatures across Asia, as scientists warn that human-driven climate change is increasing the frequency of extreme weather.
On Wednesday, Japan said it experienced its hottest day in recorded history after the mercury hit 41.2 degrees Celsius (106.16 degrees Fahrenheit) in Tamba city, Hyogo prefecture.
Earlier this month, Japan and South Korea both reported that June this year was the hottest on record, while China’s National Climate Centre said the country had experienced a record number of days with temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) or above since mid-March.
In India, the National Disaster Management Authority last month issued a red alert for New Delhi after the heat index – which looks at temperature and humidity to measure perceived temperature – hit 51.9 degrees Celsius (125.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
In April, Myanmar’s weather agency said the country experienced the hottest day ever recorded for the month when the mercury hit 48.2 degrees Celsius (118.8 degrees Fahrenheit) in the central town of Chauk.
While climate change is a concern worldwide, Asia has been particularly susceptible to extreme temperatures, according to scientists.
In its latest climate report released last month, the World Meteorological Organization said Asia was warming nearly twice as fast as the global average.
The average temperature of Asia’s landmass last year was about 1.04 degrees Celsius (33.87 degrees Fahrenheit) above the 1991-2020 trend, according to the WMO, making 2024 either the warmest or second warmest year on record, depending on the dataset used.
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