"In weather like this, even pigs are so exhausted that they barely touch their feed, so that pretty much sums it up."

At a pig farm in Hallim-myeon, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, on the 28th.

Pigs confined to their pens were barely holding on amid cooling equipment such as ventilation fans, electric fans, and air conditioners installed inside the pigsty.

The piglets lay sprawled out, seemingly worn out by the relentless heat waves.

Pigs are among the livestock vulnerable to heat waves because they lack well-developed sweat glands and have a poor ability to lower their own body temperature.

The appropriate temperature for raising pigs is typically around 22°C (72°F), but in weather like these days where temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F) day after day, deploying various cooling equipment only manages to keep it around 25 to 26°C (77 to 79°F).

With air conditioning running 24 hours a day, electricity bills are running about 150 percent higher than before the cooling systems were operated.

Fortunately, Gimhae City is providing various items to each farm, including cooling equipment, immune boosters, and shading coating agents for livestock shed roofs.

Jung (42), a livestock farmer, said, "As the heat waves continue, the pigs just want to lie down out of exhaustion and eat less feed," adding, "At times like that, we barely manage to cope with the heat wave by making the feed give off a savory scent to encourage them to eat, while also providing nutritional supplements and immune boosters."

Around the same time, a cattle farm nearby in Hallim-myeon was struggling just as much with the heat wave.

Stepping inside the livestock shed, the suffocating heat combined with the stench of cattle manure took one's breath away.

Cattle exhausted by the heat were mostly seen panting while seeking out shade to avoid the sunlight.

Ventilation fans hanging from the ceiling and mist spraying facilities were operating nonstop to lower the internal temperature of the livestock shed even a little.

This livestock shed was in a slightly better situation than others, having been designed about three years ago to raise the ceiling height and feature good ventilation facilities.

Even so, it is helpless against the heat waves continuing day after day.

Particularly, young calves showed clear expressions of fatigue, perhaps not yet accustomed to the heat.

Farm owner Lee (27) said, "This year's heat wave is much more severe than last year's, so I am always on pins and needles worrying whether the cattle are having a hard time," adding, "We manage them by providing stress relievers and helping them eat well, but I am even more worried about what lies ahead if the heat waves continue."

On this day, the highest temperature in the Gimhae area was 37.5°C (100°F) as of 2:00 PM, trailing behind Yangsan (39°C / 102°F), Bukchangwon (38.2°C / 101°F), Changnyeong (38.1°C / 101°F), and Uiryeong (37.6°C / 100°F) in South Gyeongsang Province.

Heavy heat wave warnings are currently in effect for Gimhae, Yangsan, Miryang, Uiryeong, Changnyeong, and central Hapcheon.

A heavy heat wave warning is the highest-level heat advisory issued when extreme heat that threatens lives is expected, with the highest perceived temperature reaching 38°C (100°F) or the highest temperature rising to 39°C (102°F) or above.

An official from the Korea Meteorological Administration said, "Centered around South Gyeongsang Province, this is an extreme level of heat that threatens lives, so outdoor activities and work other than essential tasks should be halted or postponed," adding, "We hope people move to cool places, stay hydrated, and check on the safety of those around them, such as family members and neighbors."

(Photo: Yonhap News)