KOR
▲ A water-sprinkling truck passes by while spraying water on a road in Nambu-dong, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the 31st, as daily high temperatures exceed 40°C for the third consecutive day.
"The heat rising from the ground is so intense that it's practically like being a firefighter putting out fires."
Today (the 31st), as record-breaking heatwaves continue day after day, along a 3-lane road in Nambu-dong, Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do.
Yangsan's highest temperature today reached 41°C as of 1:00 PM, breaking the record for the highest temperature of the year.
This is the first time in history that Yangsan has recorded daily highs exceeding 40°C for 3 consecutive days.
Choi (69), who drives a water-sprinkling truck operated by Yangsan City, wiped the beads of sweat forming on his forehead and neck as he spoke with difficulty.
Choi began operating his water truck starting at 9:30 AM today.
The capacity of the water truck is 13 tons, a massive amount, but it usually runs dry in about 30 minutes.
At times like that, he moves to a fire hydrant with low vehicle traffic to refill the water.
Repeating this process about 6 times a day means a single water truck uses 70 to 80 tons per day.
In weather like recently where peak temperatures soar above 40°C, it is so hot that the water dries up almost immediately.
Indeed, the areas where the water truck passed turned back into dry ground in just about 5 minutes.
Even so, it definitely has an effect.
It lowers not only the road surface temperature but also the surrounding air temperature, helping to alleviate the urban heat island effect, and is especially useful around construction sites as it keeps fugitive dust down.
As the severe heatwave has continued intensely of late, Yangsan City added 3 private water trucks starting today to lower the heated urban temperature, bringing the total number to 11.
Each water truck has been busy roaming various parts of the Yangsan area to actively cool down the heated city center.
Centered around Yangsan City, a severe heatwave warning has been in effect for a week.
The severe heatwave warning is the highest level of heat advisory issued when the maximum perceived temperature reaches 38°C or the highest temperature hits 39°C or above, anticipating extreme heat that threatens human life.
Yangsan City is a basin topography surrounded by mountain ranges such as Mount Cheongseong to the east and Mount Sinbul to the west.
It is believed that complex factors are intensely heating up Yangsan City, as hot air baked by the heatwave fails to scatter in all directions due to wind paths being blocked by the mountain ranges, raising the downtown temperature.
In addition, the Korea Meteorological Administration analyzes that the heatwave is continuing centered around the southern regions as the North Pacific High and the Tibetan High covering the country are heated up, bringing in hot and humid air from the south.
An official from the Korea Meteorological Administration stated, "We analyze that the southern region is particularly hot due to strong westerly winds and the Foehn effect occurring as air flows up and down the mountain ranges," adding, "Next week, winds will shift to easterlies causing temperatures to drop somewhat, but the hot weather will continue for the time being."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
Video News