As scorching heat grips the country, with perceived temperatures soaring to around 38°C mainly in the southern regions during the last weekend of July, reports of heat-related illnesses continue to mount.

Amid the unrelenting heatwave, massive crowds have flocked to beaches, valleys, and water parks nationwide.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 26th, maximum perceived temperatures climbed to around 38°C, particularly in some southern regions such as South Jeolla Province, North Gyeongsang Province, South Gyeongsang Province, and Daegu, where heavy heatwave warnings are in effect.

In particular, as of 2:00 PM, Yangsan in South Gyeongsang Province recorded a daytime high of 39.3°C, surpassing the 39.1°C recorded the previous day.

The greater Seoul area, Gangwon Province, Chungcheong provinces, and Jeju also experienced sweltering weather with perceived temperatures reaching around 36°C.

With the persistent heat, presumptive heat-related deaths have occurred in Jeju and the South Jeolla-Gwangju area, alongside a succession of heat illness cases.

At around 3:15 PM on the 25th, a foreign national worker in their 30s from Thailand collapsed complaining of dizziness on a farm path in Hwangsan-myeon, Haenam-gun, South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, and was taken to a hospital where they died.

Earlier on the 16th, a woman in her 80s who was transported to a hospital after showing symptoms of altered consciousness and respiratory distress at a home in Jeju City, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, died on the 20th while receiving treatment.

At around 9:26 AM on the 25th, a crew member in their 50s aboard a fishing boat in the waters off Sora-myeon, Yeosu, South Jeolla-Gwangju, showed heat exhaustion symptoms such as prostration while working with nets and was transferred to a hospital on land for treatment.

In the South Chungcheong region, four heat-related illnesses were also reported on the same day, with two patients transferred to hospitals and two treated at the scene.

Livestock deaths are also increasing due to the stifling heat.

As of the 24th, a total of 19,992 livestock animals had died from the heatwave in North Chungcheong Province, including 19,105 chickens, 432 ducks, and 455 pigs.

In response, livestock farmers are struggling to reduce heatwave damage by operating ventilation fans and cooling pads in barns, frequently spraying water on roofs, and supplying ice.

The mid-summer heat is persisting into the night.

From 6:00 PM on the 25th to 6:00 AM on the 26th, tropical nights occurred as morning minimum temperatures remained at or above 25°C in most parts of the country.

In Busan, tropical nights have persisted for a week.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's emergency room surveillance system for heat-related illnesses, as of the 23rd, 1,232 heat-related illness patients had been reported nationwide this year, five of whom died.

Amid the suffocating heat, beaches across the country teemed with vacationers today.

Entering the peak vacation season from late July to early August, citizens and tourists flocked to beaches in the Busan area to escape the blazing sun.

Following 366,440 visitors the previous day, major beaches in Busan such as Haeundae Beach, Songjeong Beach, and Gwangalli Beach were packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people today.

Major beaches in Jeju, including Hamdeok, Hyeopjae, Iho Tewu, and Jungmun Saekdal, also saw a continuous stream of visitors dipping their bodies in the sea and playing in the water to cool off.

On the east coast of Gangwon Province, including Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung and Sokcho Beach, vacationers also cooled off by entrusting themselves to the high waves.

At Daecheon Beach, where the Boryeong Mud Festival kicked off on the 24th, throngs of tourists gathered to enjoy mud experiences and performances.

As the blazing heat continued, downtown streets in Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, including Gyeongju, Pohang, and Daegu, presented a quiet atmosphere with a noticeable drop in pedestrians.

Instead, department stores, large supermarkets, and cultural facilities were crowded with citizens seeking refuge from the heat.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that sporadic showers will fall in most parts of the country today, and mainly in the greater Seoul area and Gangwon Province tomorrow.

Expected precipitation for today is about 10–50 mm for Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi; 10–50 mm for Gangwon; 5–40 mm for North Chungcheong; 5–30 mm for Daejeon, Sejong, and South Chungcheong; 5–30 mm for North Jeolla; 5–40 mm for Daegu and North Gyeongsang; 5–30 mm for central inland South Gyeongsang; and around 5 mm for Jeju.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted, "Temperatures will drop temporarily in areas experiencing showers today and tomorrow, but after the showers stop, it will turn hot again under high humidity."

(Photo: Yonhap News)