[Seoul=Newsis] Reporter Hwang Joon-sun – On the night of the 8th, with the tropical night phenomenon persisting in Seoul, the current temperature is displayed on a sculpture in Songpa-gu, Seoul. 2025.07.08. hwang@newsis.com
[Seoul=Newsis] Intern Reporter Lee Sowon – In July, Seoul experienced 21 tropical nights, setting a new record for the highest number ever recorded since weather monitoring began.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 31st, as of the previous day, Seoul recorded a total of 21 tropical nights in July. This matches the previous record set in July 1994 but has been listed as the sole highest record due to the meteorological statistical principle of prioritizing recent years’ data.
As a result, this July marks the most tropical nights in 117 years since temperature monitoring began in Seoul in 1907, with more than half of the month experiencing tropical nights.
A tropical night occurs when the minimum temperature remains above 25 degrees Celsius between 6:01 PM and 9:00 AM the next day.
The Korea Meteorological Administration identified the prolonged tropical nights as resulting from a combination of factors: heat accumulation from the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems, inflow of hot and humid air from the south and southwest, the Foehn effect (where winds become dry and hot after crossing mountains) over the Sobaek and Taebaek mountain ranges, and the urban heat island effect.
Last night, tropical nights were observed not only in Seoul but across various parts of the country. The minimum night temperatures recorded in different regions were as follows: Wonju, Gangwon at 25.4°C; Cheongju, Chungbuk at 28.0°C; Jeonju, Jeonbuk at 25.7°C; Busan at 26.1°C; and Seongsan, Jeju at 27.8°C.