Despite the arrival of the 'Beginning of Autumn' on August 7, a heat wave continues to grip the country. The government has urged the public to exercise caution as the prolonged heat increases the risk of heat-related illnesses.
On August 8, the Korea Meteorological Administration reported that, according to an analysis of heat wave and tropical night occurrences from last month, the average number of heat wave days over the past decade (2016-2025) is 18.3 days, which is about 2.2 times higher than the previous decade (1973-1982), which recorded 8.3 days. The average number of tropical nights has also increased to 12.2 days, tripling from 4.1 days.
The timing of heat waves has also changed. Over the past decade, the start of heat waves has occurred 10 to 30 days earlier in most regions compared to the previous decade, while the end date has shifted to around mid to late August, approximately 10 days later. The end date for tropical nights has also been delayed by 10 to 20 days, extending into mid-August to early September.
As the late summer heat persists, the number of heat-related illnesses has risen since the Beginning of Autumn. An analysis by the National Disaster Safety Research Institute, part of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, using data from the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's emergency room surveillance system (2011-2025), found that the average number of heat-related illnesses from the Beginning of Autumn until the end of August (August 8-31) has increased from 215 cases per year (2011-2015) to over 600 cases in the recent decade (2016-2020, 2021-2025).
During the same period, the average number of fatalities has also shown an upward trend, increasing from 3.3 deaths per year (2012-2015) to more than 4 deaths in the recent decade (2016-2020, 2021-2025).
In particular, during the extreme late summer heat of 2024, there were 1,299 cases of heat-related illnesses and 12 fatalities reported from the Beginning of Autumn to the end of August, accounting for 35% of that year's total. Of these cases, 586 occurred in indoor and outdoor workplaces, making up 45.1% of the total.
This year, the heat wave is expected to continue even after the Beginning of Autumn. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration's medium-term forecast, daytime temperatures in most regions are expected to reach between 31 and 35 degrees Celsius until mid-August, which is higher than the average.
Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, stated, "Even though the Beginning of Autumn has passed, we expect the heat wave to persist for an extended period. Therefore, special attention is needed not only for vulnerable groups such as the elderly but also for workers in indoor and outdoor workplaces to prevent heat-related illnesses. I urge the public to remember to stay hydrated, seek shade, and take breaks, and to follow heat wave safety guidelines until the late summer heat ends."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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