South Korea activates new ‘severe heatwave warning’ system with Seoul advisory

SEOUL, Aug 3 — South Korea’s weather agency issued a “severe heatwave warning” for Seoul today, the first such advisory since introducing the designation this year to alert the public about extreme temperatures.

New national heat records were set on Friday, Saturday and yesterday, with the mercury soaring up to 42.5° degrees Celsius (C), leading to nearly 300 people being hospitalised, according to health authorities.

The sweltering heatwave continued today, albeit without breaking the weekend’s all-time record.

But the Korea Meteorological Administration issued its first “severe heatwave warning” for Seoul, saying some districts in the city of nine million people could expect more roasting temperatures to come.

The agency said Monday marked the second consecutive day when the apparent, or “feels-like”, temperature in some districts reached 35C — and forecast figures as high as 38C from 11am (0200 GMT/10am Malaysian time) tomorrow.

“Outdoor activities and work should be halted or postponed as much as possible,” says the heat warning. “Individuals should move to cool locations, such as air-conditioned indoor spaces or designated heat relief shelters.”

Pedestrian commuters in the capital snaked their way to work through patches of shade on Monday, avoiding direct sunlight even in the morning’s cooler early hours.

The “severe heatwave warning” category was introduced in South Korea this year, mirroring similar designations other countries have brought in.

Japanese cities have this summer experienced “cruelly hot days”, a new meteorological term Tokyo uses to designate days with intense heat above 40C.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change. — AFP