Temperatures soar past 30°C as across the country


Two people died due to sweltering heat that swept the country after a three-week-rain front subsided on Sunday afternoon. Both were women in their 80s in South Chungcheong Province.

According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 84-year-old woman died of heat stroke while working in a field on Monday. Another 89-year-old woman fell unconscious while working on a rice paddy because of heat exhaustion, then was taken to a hospital on Monday and died Tuesday morning.

The disease center said there were 16 reported cases of heat-related illness between July 11 and 17 but no deaths. The majority of the patients were in their teens and 20s because seven of them were participants in a one-month march around the country. Every summer, many local youngsters take part in cross-country trips. Usually, however, it is the older generation that suffers most from the heat, the authorities said.

The KCDC advised people, especially elderly citizens, infants, outdoor workers and patients with chronic illnesses, to take extra care and call 1399 or 119 for help in case of emergency.

The government advised the same. Fatalities, especially among the elderly, are likely during the hot season, with this summer forecast to be exceptionally warm.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecast the heat wave would grip the country until mid August. On Tuesday, most of the country marked well above 32 degrees Celsius, with Gwangju in the southern region exceeding 35 degrees. The authorities have posted a heat wave alert for most parts of the country and said people in such areas would be experiencing sleepless nights since the mercury will hover around 25 degrees even after sunset.

“There will be few showers but due to the powerful North Pacific atmospheric pressure, the hot, clear weather will linger on the Korean peninsula for a long time,” Kim Heo-cheol, a KMA spokesman, said.

On Monday, the anti-disaster center issued an emergency order to provincial governments and related agencies to take preventive measures against scorching heat and accidents in the water. It asked local governments to check 37,556 public shelters from the heat wave frequently, recommended 119 rescue crews to patrol affected areas regularly, and called on farmers, soldiers and construction site workers to rest from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Every year, about 80 percent of heat and sun stroke cases take place in July and August.

By Bae Ji-sook (baejisook@heraldcorp.com)