Mid-July is usually the monsoon season here in South Korea.
But that's not the case this year.
Instead we're experiencing a real scorcher of a summer.
The dry and very hot conditions are set to last at least a week... and could last the rest of the month and well into August.
That said,... Korea isn't the only country in Northeast Asia that's feeling the heat as our Hong Yoo reports.
Hiding under the shade and fanning themselves,... people try to deal with the scorching weather in South Korea but they cannot escape from the heat.
A heat wave warning has been issued for almost all regions except some coastal and mountainous areas.
The temperature in Seoul hit 34 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Gwangju was as hot as 36 degrees,... much hotter than Tuesday.
The weather was worst for Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do with the temperature rising to 37 degrees Celsius at noon.
This year the monsoon season has finished earlier than last year.
But South Korea is not the only country experiencing this unusual weather.
Other East Asian countries such as Japan and China are also experiencing a heat wave.
Experts say that a huge high temperature belt has formed around East Asia, heating up the region.
Some areas of Japan even hit 40 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.
The sweltering heat in Japan started last Sunday and it is expected to continue until the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Beijing hit 33 degrees Celsius. The heatwave began on Wednesday after the end of the torrential rain that had soaked Beijing since Sunday.
98.1 millimeters of rain fell on Beijing last Sunday alone, the most ever recorded in Beijing in a single day.
As the scorching heat is causing heatstroke in South Korea and Japan, meteorological agencies advise people to avoid excessive outdoor activities and to pay special attention to their health.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
