SEOUL: A record heatwave is gripping the Korean peninsula, sending temperatures soaring across South Korea and North Korea as authorities expand emergency measures and residents seek relief in cooling shelters, beaches and water parks. Forecasters said on Monday (Aug 3) that extreme heat, previously concentrated in South Korea's southeast, was spreading into the Seoul metropolitan area and other western regions. North Korean state media also reported temperatures approaching 40°C in parts of the country and a fifth straight tropical night in Pyongyang. South Korea's weather agency warned temperatures could rise further in western regions this week and said the heatwave and tropical nights were likely to persist. The southeastern city had already broken the national record on the two preceding days.