Seoul: Temperatures topped 40 C in Seoul and other parts of the country Friday, the state weather service said, underscoring the intensity of the ongoing extreme heat wave.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the mercury reached 40.2 C at an automatic weather station in Seoul's northern ward of Nowon at 3:28 p.m., marking the first time the temperature exceeded 40 C in Seoul since August 1, 2018, when the capital recorded 41.8 C. The ongoing heat wave also pushed temperatures to above or near 40 C in other parts of the country. Hanam's Deokpung district, just southeast of Seoul, recorded 40.7 C at 2:32 p.m.

In addition, the city of Gwangyang, approximately 300 kilometers south of Seoul, saw temperatures soar to 40.2 C at 2:37 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). The heat was also felt in the Gangwon Province county of Yeongweol and in Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province, where temperatures rose to 39.8 C.

The number of heat wave days, characterized by daytime highs of 33 C or higher, averaged 14.8 days nationwide from June 1 to Thursday, marking the fourth highest for the same period since the expansion of the weather observation network in 1973. Additionally, the number of tropical nights, identified as nights with minimum temperatures of 25 C or higher, reached a record 13 days.

The extreme heat wave is expected to ease slightly over the weekend, though sweltering conditions will likely persist. On Saturday, morning lows are forecasted to range from 21 C to 26 C nationwide, with daytime highs ranging from 26 C to 35 C, the KMA reported.