"Disaster-Level" Heatwave Hits Nationwide... Cumulative Heat-Related Deaths Reach 21

[Anchor]

The fact that professional baseball schedules have been completely suspended symbolically shows just how much of a disaster this summer's heatwave is. Let's go live to Jamsil Baseball Stadium, where the games were canceled.

Reporter Cho Min-ki, usually games would be well underway at this hour, but the atmosphere looks quite different today (August 5)?

[Reporter]

I am standing in front of the ticket office at Jamsil Baseball Stadium.

This area, which would normally be filled with loud cheering songs, is very quiet.

The spectator stands, where families, friends, and couples usually cheer at the top of their lungs, are currently empty.

The stadium floodlights are all turned off, and the gates are closed.

The Doosan Bears and NC Dinos players finished about an hour of light training this afternoon (August 5) and dispersed.

The visiting team, the NC Dinos, who had originally planned to return to Changwon after finishing a three-game series through tomorrow, returned early this evening following the game cancellations.

[Anchor]

Just how hot was it today for all games nationwide to be canceled?

[Reporter]

The daytime high temperature today in Jamsil-dong, Songpa-gu, where the stadium is located, reached 37.4°C (99°F).

This was 0.5°C higher than the official observation temperature recorded in Jongno-gu, Seoul.

While the heatwave previously battered the Yeongnam region, today it heated up the western areas, including the greater Seoul metropolitan region.

Hanam in Gyeonggi Province recorded 39.3°C (103°F), making it the hottest place in the country today.

Nowon-gu in Seoul followed closely behind at 39.2°C (102°F).

In Cheongyang, South Chungcheong Province, the highest-tier heatwave alert, a severe heatwave warning, was issued at 11:00 AM today.

This marks the first time a severe heatwave warning has been issued for Chungcheong Province.

Due to the extreme heatwave, the number of heat-related illness patients is also on the rise.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reported that 198 heat-related illness cases occurred yesterday alone, and among them, a man in his 60s was found dead in a field in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province.

This brings the total number of deaths this year to 21, surpassing the number of deaths recorded during the same period last year.

(Live reporting: Pyun Chan-hyung | Video editing: Yoon Tae-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.