Seoul: The nation was hit by unseasonal heat Wednesday, as new records for the highest daily minimum temperatures for May were set in the Seoul metropolitan area, the southeastern provinces, and other regions, the state weather agency said. The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) reported that people in Seoul and many other regions nationwide experienced the hottest May morning on record due to the influx of hot and humid southerly winds.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in Seoul, the lowest temperature of the day was 23 C, recorded at 5:53 a.m., marking the highest daily minimum temperature for May since modern meteorological observations began in the city in October 1907. This was 1.2 C higher than the previous record of 21.8 C set on May 16, 2018, as noted by the KMA.

In Incheon, located approximately 35 kilometers west of Seoul, the lowest morning temperature was recorded at 20.7 C at 5:50 a.m., which also marked the highest daily minimum temperature for May in the city. Similar records were set in several southeastern regions, with the lowest morning temperatures registered at 23.8 C in Pohang, 23.4 C in Uljin, 23.3 C on Ulleung Island, and 22 C in Yeongdeok.

The KMA indicated that the unusually hot weather for May is expected to persist for the time being.