Heat wave forecast to continue across S. Korea

Seoul, July 31 (IANS) A heat wave will continue to bake South Korea on Monday with temperatures likely to go over 35 degrees Celsius in most parts of the country, the weather agency said.

The highest daily temperature in most parts of the nation is expected to reach between 29 and 35 degrees, while the apparent temperature is forecast to exceed 35 degrees across almost the entire nation, Yonhap News Agency reported citing the Korea Meteorological Administration as saying.

Apparent temperature, also called the feels like temperature, measures the temperature the body actually feels.

As of 8 a.m., temperatures in the southern parts of the country hovered close to 30 degrees, with the figure remaining at 29.1 degrees in the southeastern port city of Busan, 28.7 degrees in the southeastern city of Ulsan and 28.4 degrees in the southern city of Daegu.

Temperatures reached 26.8 degrees in Seoul and 26.6 degrees in the nearby city of Incheon as of 8 a.m.

Urban areas, including Seoul, and coastal regions experienced a tropical night overnight with the temperature staying 25 degrees or higher during the night.

The weather agency warned the heat wave is likely to continue for a while, with the highest daily temperature expected to go even higher by up to 2 degrees on Tuesday and Wednesday.

South Korea had seen at least 12 heat wave deaths over the weekend, including four people in their 70s to 90s who died while working on farms under extreme heat in North Gyeongsang province.

Hot temperatures are expected to bring sudden rain showers of up to 80 mm in most parts of the country on Monday, including the greater Seoul area and Jeju Island, the weather agency said.

The central areas will likely see rain as strong as up to 60 mm per hour.