‘Stop all outdoor activities’: South Korea records its highest ever temperature

South Korea has registered its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago, as authorities warned people to “immediately” stop all outdoor activities in affected areas.

The south-eastern city of Yangsan saw the temperature reach 42.5C on Sunday afternoon, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said, the highest temperature reported since modern weather observation began in 1904.

Yangsan has been the centre of an ongoing heatwave, where temperatures exceeded 40C for a fifth consecutive day on Sunday, while many other cities including Daegu and Busan are seeing temperatures climb into the high 30s.

People gathered in airconditioned shopping malls or cafes to escape the blistering temperatures. Ju Dong-yeol, 27, took refuge from the heat in a Starbucks in Seoul along with his parents and told AFP “it is too hot to be outside doing anything”.

“I can’t think of anything else to do other than stay in airconditioned places like home, shopping malls and cafes,” the office worker said.

More than 20 localities were under emergency heatwave alerts on Sunday – a new warning category introduced this year to better address rising temperatures. An emergency alert is issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit perceived temperatures of 38C or an actual temperature of 39C for the day.

Issuing a heat warning, the weather agency urged people to “immediately stop all outdoor activities”, adding that “indoor spaces without air conditioning are dangerous”.

“Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting,” it advised.

KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 in the past five years.

A heatwave day is defined as one with a maximum temperature of at least 33C.

South Korea’s professional baseball league was forced to cancel one game in Changwon after the city’s temperature climbed to 39.5C, marking the second consecutive game cancellation in the city.

“The decision was made with the safety and health of spectators and players as the top priority, as a severe heatwave warning remains in effect for the Changwon area,” said the Korea Baseball Organization in a statement.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change.

Adding to the extreme weather is the return this year of El Niño – a natural climate phenomenon that warms Pacific Ocean surface temperatures and typically occurs every two to seven years.