Shuttering Stores Completely... Could the Record-Breaking Heatwave of 1994 Be Returning?

[Anchor]

The heat is particularly intense in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province compared to the rest of the country. There are even growing concerns that the brutal heatwave of 1994, widely considered the worst on record, might be repeating.

Reporter Kim Su-yun visited Daegu in person to see just how severe the situation is.

[Reporter]

Dongseongro, the busiest shopping district in Daegu.

The temperature of the pedestrian paving blocks where citizens walk is approaching a staggering 50 degrees Celsius.

People try to block the sun with parasols and take out portable electric fans, but it is far from enough to escape the scorching heat.

[Lee Young-ho and Jang Ga-rin / Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province: I am sweating a lot, and I feel a bit dizzy. The notorious Daegu, Daprica (Daegu + Africa). It is hot just as the name suggests.]

We measured the temperature of a bench used by citizens in the middle of Dongseongro, Daegu.

As you can see, a temperature reaching 45 degrees Celsius was recorded.

Merchants who must work in traditional markets are having a hard time.

They pour in more ice than usual to keep the fish for sale fresh, but worries weigh heavily on their minds.

[Kim Kyung-hee / Seomun Market Merchant: Naturally, twice as much ice goes in compared to winter. In winter we might use two blocks, but in summer we use five to seven, things like that.]

Quite a few shops have completely closed their doors, unable to endure the heatwave.

[Bae Sung-jin / Seomun Market Merchant: Business is completely dead. We cover up the stalls like this and only regular visitors make purchases. (Mainly regulars?) That is right. We cannot make a living. It is just too hot.]

Water is repeatedly sprinkled on the heated roads to cool down the heat, but it is only temporary. There are no clear countermeasures against this kind of extreme heat.

[Yang Se-won / Buk-gu, Daegu: It feels much worse than before. It is completely suffocating... It feels even hotter, different from the heat Daegu used to be known for.]

Based on 5:00 PM, Dalseong-gun in Daegu hit 36.7 degrees Celsius and Goryeong-gun in North Gyeongsang Province reached 36.4 degrees Celsius, with daytime temperatures approaching 37 degrees Celsius today (July 28).

Yesterday, Gyeongju recorded a daytime high of 39.1 degrees Celsius, the highest temperature so far this year.

The Daegu Regional Meteorological Administration forecasted that temperatures in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province will remain similar to now or rise slightly until early next month.

Experts have even raised projections that this year's heat could resemble the summer of 1994, which is considered the worst on record, as there are still quite a few areas in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province seeing temperatures of 39 degrees Celsius or higher.

Surviving this summer in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province region is expected to be more grueling than ever.

(Reported by Jung Kyoung-mun | Video edited by Lee Hong-myeong | Designed by Lee Jong-jung)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.