A new temperature record in Yangsan
On August 1, 2026, at 2:08 p.m., the southeastern city of Yangsan recorded 41.6°C, a new record for the site. It followed a reading of 41.4°C the day before. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), the country's state weather agency, is the body tracking these figures, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.
Four straight days above 40°C
As of the August 1 report, the region had logged its fourth consecutive day with temperatures above 40°C.
How this compares historically
The 41.6°C reading is the highest recorded since modern weather observation began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904. Only three temperatures higher than 41.4°C have ever been recorded in that observation history. If Yangsan were to reach 42°C, it would become the highest temperature ever recorded under the modern observation system, which includes automatic weather stations.
A separate reading of 41.9°C was recorded in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on August 1, 2018. That site is not among the 97 long-term observation stations operated by the KMA, so it sits outside the official record set tracked at those stations.
Where this is happening
Yangsan is located about 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul.