Scorcher under mostly sunny skies _ 071218

Good afternoon, Seoul had its first tropical night of the season, and people were gathered by Cheonggyecheon stream in central Seoul late last night to beat the heat.

Tropical nights are when there are nighttime temperatures of 25 degrees Celsius or higher...so it's time to prepare for some searing heat... as the monsoon season comes to an end, blistering heat and the summer vacation season sets in.

Heatwave alerts are in place across much of the country, heat warnings are in place for many of the southern regions including Busan and Daegu while sizzling sunshine will boost UV rays to very high levels. It's going to be a one harsh day.

Most parts will see temperatures 2 to 3 degrees higher than yesterday, getting up to 32 degrees Celsius in Seoul, and 35 degrees in Daegu and Gyeongju... wear light colors, and stay hydrated with cool drinks.

We are advised to be extra careful for the next few days as stifling heat with strong sunshine is in store for the next five days with highs in the low-thirties for the northern regions and the mid-thirties down south.