SEOUL, July 12 (AJP)-Sweltering South Korea activated its highest-level heat alert on Sunday for the first time, as temperatures and heat indices surged to levels authorities described as life-threatening, marking the inaugural issuance of the newly created Heat Wave Emergency Warning 18 years after the country's heat alert system was introduced.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety issued the emergency warning at 11 a.m. for the southeastern cities of Pohang and Gyeongsan in North Gyeongsang Province, where the maximum apparent temperature was forecast to exceed 38 degrees Celsius following two consecutive days above 35 degrees.
The unprecedented alert comes as much of the country swelters under temperatures above 33 degrees, with inland cities such as Wonju and Icheon already recording around 34 to 35 degrees by midday. Seoul reached 33.3 degrees around noon, while most metropolitan areas remained under heat wave advisories or warnings.
The Heat Wave Emergency Warning is a new top-tier category added this year to the country's two-stage heat advisory system of advisories and warnings, reflecting increasingly frequent and intense summer heat driven by climate change.
Unlike a conventional heat warning, which is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is expected to remain above 35 degrees for at least two consecutive days, the emergency warning can be triggered after just one day if the apparent temperature is forecast to reach 38 degrees or the actual air temperature 39 degrees in an area already under a heat warning.
Authorities said such conditions pose an exceptionally high risk of heatstroke, dehydration and fatalities even among healthy adults, not only vulnerable groups such as the elderly or outdoor workers.
The government immediately activated an all-of-government emergency response system, with ministries and local governments instructed to expand cooling shelters, increase monitoring of vulnerable residents and prepare for surging electricity demand.
Officials are urging residents in affected regions to follow what they call the three-step survival rule: Stop outdoor activities, Move to a cooler place and Check on family members, neighbors and other vulnerable people.
"The first issuance of a Heat Wave Emergency Warning means that life-threatening heat is no longer a future possibility but an immediate reality," KMA Administrator Lee Myeong-sun said during a nationally televised briefing.
She urged the public to avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day, stay hydrated and remain vigilant even after sunset as tropical nights continue to prevent the body from recovering from daytime heat.
The KMA has also expanded its newly introduced tropical night advisory, warning that persistently high overnight temperatures can significantly increase health risks by disrupting sleep and reducing physical recovery.
Heat wave warnings remained in effect Sunday across most of the country, including large parts of Seoul, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and Sejong, while advisories covered many of the remaining regions.
The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported 535 heat-related illnesses and two deaths nationwide as of Friday, with officials warning the toll could rise as the current hot spell is forecast to continue through at least Tuesday.
Meteorologists said the emergency warning could be expanded to additional regions if temperatures continue climbing early next week, underscoring how South Korea's summers are entering what officials increasingly describe as an era of extreme heat rather than occasional heat waves.
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