Scorching Heat Reaching 39.3°C Threatens Lives Nationwide, Except Mountainous Gangwon

[Anchor]

It has been an overwhelmingly hot weekend. With the monsoon season that helped cool the heat effectively coming to an end, areas across the country set new record-high temperatures for the year. Heatwave advisories and warnings have been issued nationwide, excluding the mountainous regions of Gangwon, while a severe heatwave alert has been put into effect primarily across the Yeongnam region.

The 8 O'Clock News for today, July 26, begins with a report by Han Sung-hee.

[Reporter]

Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do.

Farmers are hard at work in the fields amidst a scorching heatwave under the blazing sun.

Today, July 26, the mercury in Yangsan soared to 39.3°C (103°F), making it one of the hottest places in the country alongside Miryang. This broke the all-time record for the highest temperature in Yangsan since weather observations began there in 2008.

[Lee Jae-wook / Farmer in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do : Our field is currently covered in weeds, and if we don't pull them out now, the quality will drop so much that we won't be able to ship our produce later. That is why we are pushing through despite the hardship. We work for 10 minutes and rest for 20 minutes....]

Not only Yangsan and Miryang, but Gyeongju also recorded 39.0°C (102°F), North Changwon 38.5°C (101°F), Uiryeong-gun 38.3°C (101°F), and Hapcheon 38.2°C (101°F), with temperatures in various parts of the Yeongnam region nearing 40°C (104°F).

Consequently, a severe heatwave alert—the highest level of heatwave warning—has been issued primarily centered around the Yeongnam region.

A severe heatwave alert is issued when the apparent temperature is expected to exceed 38°C (100°F) or the peak temperature is expected to surpass 39°C (103°F). It carries the risk of causing serious harm, such as heat-related illnesses or even death, even to healthy individuals.

With other regions also recording temperatures 2°C to 6°C higher than average—such as Seoul at 32.6°C (91°F), Daejeon at 34.7°C (94°F), and Namwon at 35.9°C (97°F)—heatwave warnings and advisories have been issued across the entire country, except for the mountainous areas of Gangwon.

Amidst the extreme heat combined with the peak vacation season, water parks across the country drew crowds of vacationers.

[Kim Yoon-hye / Seongbuk-gu, Seoul : The weather is terribly hot, but just looking at the water feels so refreshing, and it seems to cool down the heat a bit.]

The Korea Meteorological Administration urged citizens to take special care of their health, such as staying in cool places and drinking plenty of water.

(Video capture: Kim Hyun-sang, Park Eun-sung (KNN) | Video editing: Shin Se-eun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.