Heat Wave Warning and Caution in Most Areas of South Korea

by Dana Marie / Aug 10, 2015 02:58 AM EDT

(Photo : By:Chung Sung-Jun | Getty Images News) Polar bears at the Everland Amusement Park eat iced watermelon and other fruits to cool down

Seoul is experiencing from scorching temperature, which the government has expected to continue until the middle of the week. The weather has been intolerable for the past days that the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has given a heat wave warning in the city and its surrounding areas on August 8.

This is issued if a place experiences maximum temperature beyond 35°C for 2 days. On the other hand, caution is declared if the temperature reaches 33°C for 2 consecutive days. And the temperature in the country has ranged from 30-36°C since Friday.

"We expect the highest temperature of Seoul will be 35°C", a KMA official has commented. "Therefore, we are elevating the heat wave cautions in Seoul and some of the surrounding area to heat wave warnings".

The heat wave has been extreme over the weekend, according to a forecast by KMA. However, it will let up mid-week when rain starts to pour. The 'tropical night phenomenon' - when the temperature at night doesn't fall below 25°C - has lasted throughout the weekend as well.

18 cities and counties in Gyeonggi, including Suwon and Goyang, have been issued a heat wave warning. On the other hand, 13 other cities and counties in the province have been issued caution. The rest of South Korea, with the exception of some eastern coastal regions, has been issued a warning or caution on August 7.

Seoul's local government has also announced an ozone caution in the city's southwestern districts, telling people to be careful of the concentration that goes beyond 0.12 ppm/hour. This is the third caution throughout the metropolitan this year, encompassing areas like Gangseo, Yangcheon, Gwanak and Geumchoen.

The nation's involved agencies have run a management system to control the effects of blistering weather.

According to a Ministry of Public Safety and Security official, "We are propagating guidelines for the hot weather through text messages to those living in the region under heat wave cautions and warnings". The agency has formed rescue teams to take care of evacuation and first aid for people who might be experiencing heatstroke.

705 people have already been treated for heatstroke throughout the scorching summer, and 7 have died. While some citizens haven't been affected directly, their livestock have. Plenty of farmers have reported dead chickens, pigs and ducks. 

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