South Korea is hot 36 degrees, the highest temperature in May

South Korea is hit by heat earlier than usual. A number of cities recorded the highest temperature for mid-May, even Gimcheon broke through 36 degrees Celsius.

According to a Yonhap report quoted on Monday, May 18, the temperature in Gimcheon, about 190 kilometers southeast of Seoul, reached 36 degrees Celsius on Monday at 14.40 local time. The figure passed the South Korean heat wave threshold at 33 degrees Celsius.

Gyeongju, a city in southeast South Korea, also recorded high temperatures. The temperature in the city reached 35.9 degrees Celsius at almost the same time.

The figure is a record for mid-May temperatures in Gyeongju since records began in August 2010.

In Daegu, the temperature rose to 34.7 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Gwangju, in the southwest of South Korea, recorded 32.4 degrees Celsius. Both also broke the record for the highest temperature for mid-May.

The Korean Meteorological Agency said the early heat was triggered by a high pressure system that made the sky bright and cloudless.

High pressure systems are atmospheric conditions that usually make the weather sunny, hot, and clouds difficult to form.

However, the weather is expected to change in the next few days. As the high pressure system moves east, clouds will increase.

Rain is forecast to fall in a number of areas of South Korea from Wednesday to Thursday.