The nation continuously saw sunny skies and hot temperatures on Thursday. 
 
A heat wave watch was issued for the first time this year for five cities and counties in Gyeonggi Province on Thursday, including Dongducheon and Yangpyeong. Afternoon highs in the areas hovered around 33 degrees Celsius.
 
Most inland areas, including Seoul, saw afternoon highs reach around 30 degrees.
 
The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) forecast that hot, sunny weather will persist until Sunday.