Scorching heat to persist Friday, with highs near 39 C

A heat wave will grip most of the country on Friday, forecasters said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said Thursday that temperatures in the Greater Seoul area, inland Gangwon Province and parts of the Jeolla region will reach around 39 C on Friday. Residents are urged to take extra precautions to protect their health.

Morning lows nationwide are forecast at 25 to 27 C, with afternoon highs ranging from 32 to 39 C. Tropical nights — when overnight temperatures stay at or above 25 C — are also expected to continue for now.

Forecast lows and highs for major cities are: Seoul, 27 C and 39 C; Incheon and Gwangju, 26 C and 38 C; Daejeon and Daegu, 26 C and 37 C; Ulsan, 26 C and 34 C; and Busan, 27 C and 35 C.

The heat wave is expected to ease somewhat over the weekend.

On Saturday, morning lows will range from 22 to 27 C and afternoon highs from 27 to 36 C, while Sunday will see lows of 21 to 26 C and highs of 26 to 36 C.

Showers are possible in central regions, including Seoul and inland Gyeonggi Province.

Expected rainfall Saturday includes 30 to 80 millimeters along the Gangwon coast and mountain areas (over 120 millimeters in some spots), 20 to 60 millimeters along the northern North Gyeongsang coast and northeastern mountain areas, 5 to 40 millimeters along the southern North Gyeongsang coast, and 5 to 30 millimeters in Jeju's mountain and mid-elevation areas.

Temperatures will drop temporarily while rain falls, but high humidity after the showers clear will cause the heat to return.