South Korea’s weather agency issued its first-ever “severe heatwave warning” for Seoul on Monday under a new alert system introduced this year to warn the public about dangerously high temperatures.
The warning comes after the country set new national heat records on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with temperatures reaching as high as 42.5 degrees Celsius and nearly 300 people requiring hospital treatment, according to health authorities, AFP reported.
Although Monday’s temperatures did not surpass the weekend’s record highs, the sweltering conditions continued across the capital.
The Korea Meteorological Administration said some districts of Seoul, home to around nine million people, are expected to experience even hotter conditions. Monday marked the second consecutive day that the apparent, or “feels-like,” temperature reached 35 degrees Celsius in parts of the city, with values forecast to climb as high as 38 degrees Celsius from 11:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday.
The agency urged residents to avoid outdoor activities and work where possible, advising people to move to cool locations such as air-conditioned buildings or designated heat relief shelters.
Commuters in Seoul sought shade during the Monday morning rush hour, avoiding direct sunlight despite the relatively cooler early hours of the day.
The “severe heatwave warning” category was introduced in South Korea this year, following similar warning systems adopted by other countries.
Japan has also experienced extreme heat this summer, with authorities using the new meteorological term “cruelly hot days” to describe temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius.
Scientists have warned that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and more intense as a result of human-induced climate change.