Seoul: South Korea recorded the hottest average temperature for June on record as the nation was hit by heat waves and tropical nights, according to the weather agency Friday. The country recorded an average temperature of 22.9 C last month, 0.2 C higher than last year, marking the hottest June ever since 1973, when South Korea began actively collecting weather data, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
According to Yonhap News Agency, the KMA said temperatures were higher on average last month due to high-pressure systems that formed to the southeast of the country, leading to warm and humid southwestern winds. On June 18, the eastern coastal city of Gangneung saw the country's first tropical night of the year, followed by 12 other areas across the country the next night.
A tropical night refers to a phenomenon when nighttime temperatures stay above 25 C from 6:01 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day. The country also saw 187.4 millimeters of rain last month, compared with the 30-year average of 148.2 mm of rain in June.