Seoul reported on August 5 that 39 additional cases of heat-related illnesses occurred on August 4, the day a major heat warning was issued.
According to the city, this marks the largest increase in heat-related illnesses this year.
Seoul issued the major heat warning around 11 a.m. the previous day and is closely monitoring the situation.
A major heat warning is issued when the daily maximum perceived temperature is expected to exceed 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) or when the daily maximum temperature is expected to exceed 39 degrees Celsius (102.2 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than one day.
Meanwhile, the Fire Department announced that due to the ongoing heat, it raised the fire risk alert from 'caution' to 'serious' at around 3 p.m. on the same day.
This action comes nearly four years and five months after the first 'serious' fire risk alert was issued in March 2022, amid concerns over wildfire spread due to dry weather and strong winds following large wildfires in Uljin and Samcheok.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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