[Anchor]

The heat is taking an unusually severe toll, particularly in Daegu and the North Gyeongsang region. Concerns are even rising that we might be seeing a repeat of the extreme heat wave of 1994, which is recorded as the worst on the country's history.

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

[Reporter]

Dongseongro, the busiest downtown area in Daegu.

The temperature of the sidewalk where citizens walk and pass by approaches a staggering 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

People try to block the sun with parasols and pull out portable electric fans, but it is not enough to escape the heat, which feels more scorching than simply hot.

[Lee Young-ho & Jang Ga-rin / Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province: I'm sweating a lot and feel a bit dizzy. The notorious Daegu, or Daefrica, lives up to its name. It's hot, literally.]

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 (113 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded.

It is a grueling ordeal for merchants who have to work in traditional markets.

They pour in more ice than usual to keep the fish for sale fresh, but worry comes first.

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

Quite a few shops have closed their doors altogether, unable to endure the heat wave.

[Bae Sung-jin / Seomun Market Merchant: Business is completely dead. We cover up the display stalls like this and only sell to those who seek us out. (Mainly regulars?) Right. We can hardly make a living. It's just too hot.]

Water is constantly sprayed onto the heated roads to cool down the heat, but it only lasts for a moment.

There are no quick fixes for this kind of extreme heat.

[Yang Se-won / Buk-gu, Daegu: It feels much worse than before. It completely takes my breath away... It feels like Daegu has gotten even hotter, unlike the heat we used to know.]

As of 5:00 PM, daytime temperatures approached 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit) today, with Dalseong-gun in Daegu hitting 36.7 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit) and Goryeong-gun in North Gyeongsang reaching 36.4 degrees Celsius (98 degrees Fahrenheit).

Yesterday, Gyeongju recorded a daytime high of 39.1 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit), the highest temperature so far this year.

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

Experts have even raised observations that this year's heat could rival the summer of 1994, considered the worst on record, as there are still quite a few areas in Daegu and North Gyeongsang recording over 39 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit).

Getting through this summer in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang regions is expected to be tougher than ever.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
Reported by Jung Kyeong-mun | Video by Lee Hong-myung | Graphics by Lee Jong-jung