Many regions across South Korea experienced the hottest day of the year so far on Thursday. 

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA), the mercury in Anseong in Gyeonggi Province surged to a high of 32-point-seven Celsius degrees in the afternoon. 

Daytime highs in Seoul reached 30 degrees while many other cities and counties topped 30 degrees, including Daejeon, Gwangju and Uiseong County in North Gyeongsang Province. 

The weather agency attributed the unseasonably hot temperatures to southerly flows and strong sunshine, among other factors. 

The hot weather is expected to remain through Friday, but southern coastal areas will likely cool off due to rain that will begin in Jeju from Friday afternoon. 

The heat wave advisory issued for Gwangju was lifted at 6 p.m. on Thursday, about a day after the nation’s first heat wave alert for this year was put in place in the southwestern city. A heat wave advisory is issued when the daytime high is forecast to stay above 33 degrees Celsius for two straight days or longer.