Yangsan: Temperatures surpassed 40 C in the southeastern city of Yangsan for the fourth consecutive day, setting a new record of 41.6 C as a relentless heat wave continues to grip the nation, the state weather agency reported Saturday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the mercury reached 41.6 C in Yangsan, located approximately 310 kilometers southeast of Seoul, at 2:08 p.m., as recorded by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). This marks a significant rise from the previous day's 41.4 C, which was already the highest temperature recorded since modern weather observations began on the Korean Peninsula in 1904.

The KMA's 97 long-term observation stations have documented this unprecedented heat. If Yangsan's temperatures reach 42 C, it would become the highest temperature ever recorded under the country's modern weather observation system, which includes data from both manual and automatic weather stations.

Historically, only three temperatures have surpassed Friday's 41.4 C in Yangsan, including a record 41.9 C in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, on August 1, 2018. Notably, this location is not among the 97 sites operated by the KMA.