Australia Weather News

South Korea yesterday 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 thermometer reach 42.5 degrees Celsius at 1:26 pm local time, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said on its website.

Yangsan has been the epicentre of the ongoing heatwave, where temperatures exceeded 40C for a fifth consecutive day yesterday, while many other cities, including Daegu and Busan, have been sweltering in the high 30s.

People flocked to air-conditioned shopping malls or cafes to escape the blistering heat, an AFP reporter saw.

Ju Dong-yeol, 27, took refuge 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 air-conditioned places like home, shopping malls and cafes," the office worker said.

South Korea's professional baseball league was also forced to cancel a game in Changwon after the city's temperature climbed to 39.5 degrees Celsius during the day, 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 Organisation in a statement.

More than 20 localities were under emergency heatwave alerts yesterday — 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.

Japan's 'cruel' new heat category

South Korea is not the only country in the region introducing new categories for extreme heat.

Japan experienced its first "kokushobi", or "cruelly hot day", late last month.

The term was introduced in April this year for days where the mercury hits more than 40C.

The ongoing heat in Japan hampered rescue efforts from a devastating 7.1-magnitude last week, which killed 38 people.

About 95,000 homes were without water as of Friday, amid heatwave conditions, and officials warned of heat stroke risk.

Rescue authorities said lack of power and running water was a concern in the punishing heat.

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 Nino — a natural climate phenomenon that warms the surface of the Pacific Ocean and typically occurs every two to seven years.

Europe has also sweltered through a scorching summer this year, with prolonged heatwaves pushing temperatures above 40C in parts of the south.

European authorities issued health warnings, battled wildfires and urged people to avoid outdoor activities during afternoons.

After sweeping across western Europe at the start of last week, the season's latest heatwave scorched central Europe before reaching Italy over the weekend.

Italian authorities said nearly all of the country's major cities would be under the highest heat alert from today.