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Seoul Residents Sweating with Record ‘Tropical Nights’ Weather 

Women use umbrellas to shield from the sun at a market in Seoul on August 16, 2024, during a prolonged heatwave which has gripped much of the country. (AFP)
Women use umbrellas to shield from the sun at a market in Seoul on August 16, 2024, during a prolonged heatwave which has gripped much of the country. (AFP)
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Seoul Residents Sweating with Record ‘Tropical Nights’ Weather 

Women use umbrellas to shield from the sun at a market in Seoul on August 16, 2024, during a prolonged heatwave which has gripped much of the country. (AFP)
Women use umbrellas to shield from the sun at a market in Seoul on August 16, 2024, during a prolonged heatwave which has gripped much of the country. (AFP)

Residents of South Korea's capital are resorting to novel ways to beat the heat as a century-old weather record fell Friday following a 26th "tropical night" in a row -- when the temperature stays above 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit).

"I take a cold shower before bed and tie freezer packs around my electric fan to cool the air," Lee Ji-soo told AFP Friday.

Overnight temperatures in Seoul have sizzled above 25 degrees Celsius for 26 days in a row, officials said Friday, marking the longest streak since modern weather observation began in 1907.

Such evenings are widely known as "tropical nights" in South Korea.

Much of the world is enduring a summer of sweltering weather, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warning last month of an "extreme heat epidemic", and calling for action to limit the impact of climate change.

The intense heat in Seoul is expected to continue, according to the met office, setting a record every day until next week.

"The cold air is not coming down from the north," Youn Ki-han, director at Seoul's Meteorology Forecast Division, told AFP.

"Usually around this time the temperature drops in the morning and evening... but currently we aren't seeing any signs of that yet," said Youn.

As temperatures soar, residents struggle to find ways to cope with the sweltering nights.

"I think I turn on my air conditioner 23 hours a day," said Kim Young-sook, who lives in Gangnam district, an affluent neighborhood in Seoul.

"I'm worried my dogs will become too hot -- even during at night."

That isn't an option for Lee Ji-soo, who straps icepacks to her fan.

"I do have an air conditioner but I just can't afford the electricity bill," she said.

"The air is suffocating sometimes. I don't know how long I can live like this."

- Power hungry -

Data from Korea Power Exchange showed South Korea's electricity demand hit an all-time high on Monday as people battled the heatwave with air conditioners and fans.

Some 102.3 gigawatts were used, passing the previous record of 100.6 gigawatts set last August, the agency said.

According to the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the number of days with temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius in the world's largest capital cities has surged by 52 percent over the past 30 years.

In 2018 alone, Seoul experienced 21 days with temperatures over 35 degrees Celsius -- more than the previous 10 years combined.

"In just one generation, there's been an alarming increase," said Dr Tucker Landesman, a senior researcher at IIED.

Climate activists in South Korea are calling for more government action.

"There's no chance that this will get better and it's bound to get worse," Youn Se-jong, an environmental lawyer, told AFP.

"Strengthening the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions should be the priority," he added.

South Korea currently has the lowest proportion of renewable energy in its power mix among all OECD countries and is the G20's second-highest carbon emitter from coal per capita, according to energy think tank Ember.

North Korea is also sweltering under a heatwave and issued a warning earlier this week, with central areas including Pyongyang affected.

"Severe heat of 33 to 37 (degrees Celsius) is foreseen in some areas," said Kim Kwang Hyok, an official at the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration.

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Varieties

Hong Kongers Bid Farewell to 'King of Umbrellas'

Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of the few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, is closing his 183-year-old family-run business at the end of the year. Tommy WANG / AFP
Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of the few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, is closing his 183-year-old family-run business at the end of the year. Tommy WANG / AFP
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Hong Kongers Bid Farewell to 'King of Umbrellas'

Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of the few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, is closing his 183-year-old family-run business at the end of the year. Tommy WANG / AFP
Yau Yiu-wai, 73, one of the few remaining umbrella repairmen in Hong Kong, is closing his 183-year-old family-run business at the end of the year. Tommy WANG / AFP

Scores of residents flocked to a cramped shop in Hong Kong's old district to bid farewell to the city's "king of umbrellas", who is retiring after spending decades repairing umbrellas at his family business.

Established in 1842 during the Qing Dynasty, the Sun Rise Company was founded by the Yau family in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

Current proprietor Yau Yiu-wai, 73, announced earlier this month that his 183-year-old family business would close its doors at year's end.

The family-run shop has been passed down through five generations, but due to shifting consumer habits towards online shopping and his advancing age, it has to cease operations, Yau told AFP on Friday.

"We've upheld our family's reputation, and this legacy has come down to me... It truly pains me to end it," Yau said. "I'm sorry to my ancestors."

After enduring wartime turmoil, the shop relocated to Hong Kong, eventually finding its place amid the bustling meat and vegetable vendors in Sham Shui Po district.

"(Today's) wheel of time rolled over me and crushed me beneath its weight," Yau said.

News of the closure spread across social media, with one user calling it "another loss of a wonderful community business".

"He genuinely cared about selling customers a good, practical umbrella," student Niki Lum told AFP, referring to Yau.

"I could tell he put his heart into running this shop," said the 20-year-old.

Resident Peter Tam, 60, said witnessing the disappearance of these classic shops felt like the end of an era.

"It's such a pity... These are all pieces of history," he said. "And we ourselves are becoming history too."

While most retailers rely on customers replacing damaged umbrellas with new ones, Yau said he aims for durability.

"This is for environmental protection. It's a social responsibility."

Those who brought umbrellas for repair included couples hoping to mend their relationships and married couples who had used umbrellas as tokens of affection.

Yau said fewer than five repairmen like him remain in Hong Kong practicing this "barely profitable" umbrella trade.

But now, Yau said he has no choice but to end the service he took pride in.

"I'm getting old. You have to forgive me, I just can't carry on any more," he said, adding he had suffered a stroke several years ago.

"The most important thing for you is to stay smart... and learn to be eco-friendly," he added.

Varieties

Winter Storm Bears Down on US Northeast, Disrupting Airline Travel

Workers clear snow from the ice rink at Bryant Park during a winter storm in New York City, US, December 26, 2025. (Reuters)
Workers clear snow from the ice rink at Bryant Park during a winter storm in New York City, US, December 26, 2025. (Reuters)
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Winter Storm Bears Down on US Northeast, Disrupting Airline Travel

Workers clear snow from the ice rink at Bryant Park during a winter storm in New York City, US, December 26, 2025. (Reuters)
Workers clear snow from the ice rink at Bryant Park during a winter storm in New York City, US, December 26, 2025. (Reuters)

A winter storm packing a frosty mix of snow and ice bore down on the US Northeast early on Saturday, disrupting post-holiday weekend airline traffic and prompting officials in New York and New Jersey to issue weather emergency declarations.

The National Weather Service posted ice storm and winter storm warnings throughout New York state and Connecticut, forecasting some of the heaviest snowfall totals - up to a foot in localized areas - for Long Island and the Hudson Valley.

New York City could see its highest accumulations since 2022, with peak snowfall ‌rates of 2 ‌or more inches per hour, according to an ‌emergency ⁠declaration on Friday ‌from Governor Kathy Hochul, warning of treacherous road conditions.

In many areas snow was forecast to be mixed or glazed over with sleet and freezing rain.

"The safety of New Yorkers is my top priority, and I continue to urge extreme caution throughout the duration of this storm," Hochul said in a statement, admonishing residents to "avoid unnecessary travel."

Ice storm warnings and winter weather advisories were likewise posted for ⁠most of Pennsylvania, much of Massachusetts, and most of New Jersey, where a state of emergency ‌also was declared. High winds were forecast as part ‍of the storm.

Snow began falling ‍in western New York state and the New York City area on Friday ‍evening and was expected to intensify on Saturday.

More than 1,600 commercial airline flights within the United States and into or out of the country were canceled on Friday, and 7,800-plus were delayed as weather conditions began to worsen, according to the flight-tracking service FlightAware.

The three major airports serving the New York City area - John F. Kennedy, Newark Liberty International and LaGuardia Airport - accounted for ⁠the bulk of Friday's flight cancellations. All three issued alerts on social media platform X warning travelers of potential disruptions.

Another 650 flights that had been scheduled to depart or land in the US on Saturday were canceled, FlightAware reported.

Representatives from American Airlines, United Airlines and JetBlue Airways told Reuters those carriers had waived change fees normally charged to re-book for passengers whose travel plans may be affected by weather-related disruptions.

New Jersey and Pennsylvania issued commercial vehicle restrictions for some roads, including many interstate highways.

"This storm will cause dangerous road conditions and impact holiday travel," New Jersey's acting governor Tahesha Way said in a statement. "We are urging travelers to ‌avoid travel during the storm and allow crews to tend to roads."

Varieties

Cypriot Fishermen Battle Invasive Lionfish and Turn Them into a Delicacy

A cat stands next to a table with fried lionfish at Stefanos restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)
A cat stands next to a table with fried lionfish at Stefanos restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)
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Cypriot Fishermen Battle Invasive Lionfish and Turn Them into a Delicacy

A cat stands next to a table with fried lionfish at Stefanos restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)
A cat stands next to a table with fried lionfish at Stefanos restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)

Photis Gaitanos’ rough fingers adroitly untangle the venomous spikes of a lionfish from a net, throwing the exotic-looking creature into an ice-filled rubber bin along with other fish from the day’s catch.

Unlike a few years ago when he would have mostly caught local staples as sea bream, red mullet or bass, the veteran fisherman now hunts for the invasive species that made its way from the Red Sea to the warming waters of the Mediterranean,

Lionfish, with their red and orange-hued stripes and antennae-like barbs that menacingly ward off enemies, threaten to decimate indigenous fish stocks, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of the roughly 150 professional fishermen in Cyprus.

The prickly fish has even made its way as far north as the Ionian Sea, where Italian authorities have asked the public to photograph and report sightings.

The East Mediterranean has also seen another invasive Red Sea fish in the last decade: the silver-cheeked toadfish. Known as an eating machine whose powerful jaws cut through fishing nets, decimating fishermen’s catch, it has no natural predators off Cyprus, allowing its population to explode.

That toadfish also produces a lethal toxin, making it inedible.

Warmer waters are the culprit

Gaitanos, the 60-year-old fisherman, has fished for years in an area a few kilometers off the coastal town of Larnaca, once famous for its fishing bounty. Now, he says, it’s been more than two years since he’s caught a red mullet, a consumer favorite.

"I have been practicing this profession for 40 years. Our income, especially since these two foreign species appeared, has become worse every year. It is now a major problem (affecting) the future of fishing," he said. "How can it be dealt with?"

Europe’s General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean says with the sea warming some 20% faster than the global average, the presence of invasive species "is progressively increasing in the western basin."

Models show that warmer seas as a result of climate change could see lionfish swarm the entire Mediterranean by the century’s end. Warmer waters and an expanded Suez Canal "have opened the floodgates" to Indo-Pacific species in general, according to Cyprus’ Fisheries Department.

Lionfish, center, are seen at Stefanios restaurant in Larnaca, Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean, Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025. (AP)

The European Union’s Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis, a Cypriot himself, told The Associated Press that more frequent and intense extreme weather, often linked to climate change, could make the Mediterranean more hospitable to invasive species.

And that’s taking a heavy toll on Europe’s fishing industry as fishermen’s catches diminish while their costs shoot up as a result of repairs to fishing gear damaged by the powerful intruders.

"The native marine biodiversity of a specific region, as in the case of Cyprus, faces heightened competition and pressure, with implications for local ecosystems and industries dependent on them," said Kadis.

Fishermen cry for help

Gaitanos, who inherited his father’s boat in 1986, is not sure the fishermen’s grievances are being handled in a way that can stave off the profession’s decline.

"We want to show the European Union that there’s a big problem with the quantity of the catch as well as the kind of fish caught, affected by the arrival of these invasive species and by climate change," he said.

Some EU-funded compensation programs have been enacted to help fishermen. The latest, enforced last year, pays fishermen about 4.73 euros ($5.5) per kilogram (2.2 pounds) to catch toadfish to control their number. The toadfish are then sent to incinerators.

Another project, RELIONMED, which began in 2017, recruits some 100 scuba divers to cull lionfish around wrecks, reefs and marine protected areas. The Cyprus Fisheries Department says surveys show that frequent culls could buy time for native species to recover, but it’s not a permanent fix.

Some try eating the problem

What local fishermen are hoping will catch on with the fish-loving public is a new campaign to serve lionfish as a delicacy after its poisonous spines are carefully removed.

Kadis, the EU Fisheries commissioner, said a social media campaign that began in 2021, #TasteTheOcean, had top European chefs and influencers plugging invasive species as a tasty alternative to the more commonly consumed fish. Renowned Cypriot chef Stavris Georgiou worked up a lionfish recipe of his own.

For most Cypriots, local taverns with their rich meze menus that feature numerous plates different fish is the way to go. Although eating lionfish has been slow to catch on, many tavernas and fish restaurants have started to introduce it as part of their menu.

The bonus is that lionfish is now priced competitively compared to more popular fish like sea bass. At the Larnaca harbor fish market, lionfish cost less than half as much as more popular fish like sea bass.

"By incorporating invasive species such as lionfish into our diet, we can turn this challenge into an opportunity for the fisheries sector and at the same time help limit the environmental threat caused by these species," Kadis said

Stephanos Mentonis, who runs a popular fish tavern in Larnaca, has included lionfish on his meze menu as a way to introduce the fish to a wider number of patrons.

Mentonis, 54, says most of his customers aren’t familiar with lionfish. But its meat is fluffy and tender, and he says it can hold up against perennial tavern favorites like sea bream.

"When they try it, it’s not any less tasty than any other fish," he said.