The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) issued an extreme heat warning for the cities of Gyeongsan and Pohang, located in the southern part of Gyeongsangbuk-do province, according to the agency's director, Lee Mi-seon, during a press conference.
Recommendations and Alert Criteria
While the alert is active, it is advised to suspend all outdoor activities, including sports and work, whenever feasible. This maximum alert is triggered when an area records maximum temperatures of at least 35°C for two consecutive days, and the forecast predicts temperatures exceeding 39°C on at least one of those days.
Context of Extreme Heat
Lee Mi-seon clarified that this is the first time such an alert has been issued since its implementation. The affected regions reached temperatures above 35°C on Friday and Saturday, and the current forecast indicates they will reach at least 38°C today. The maximum alert signals conditions where even healthy individuals run a considerably higher risk of developing serious health problems.
National and Global Situation
Although the maximum alert is restricted to only two cities, a vast part of the country is under lower-level heat warnings, which are issued when a minimum temperature of 35°C is predicted for two consecutive days. The KMA reported that the average number of heatwave days in the country has increased from eight in the 1970s to 19 in the last five years. A heatwave day is defined as one where the maximum temperature reaches at least 33°C.
Globally, heatwaves are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change. In the United States, about 44 million people are suffering from a heatwave, with projections of maximum temperatures between 38°C and 43°C in various states. In Western Europe, the continent is facing its third heatwave after recording its hottest June in history. The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the extreme heat in the region has caused at least 1,300 deaths since June 21.
Additionally, in France, it is estimated that 24 million people are under a maximum heatwave alert, according to a calculation by the news agency AFP, based on annual data from the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE).