Record-breaking heat wave grips South Korea, triggers health emergencies

South Korea continued to grapple with an unprecedented heat wave on Monday as temperatures surged past historical records and the number of heat-related illnesses rose nationwide, triggering health emergencies, Yonhap News Agency reported.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), severe heat warnings remained active across most of the country as temperatures crossed 40C (104F) on July 29.

In the southeastern city of Daegu, temperatures exceeded 40C (104F) for the first time since August 1942, while nearby Yangsan recorded a record high of 42.5C (108.5F) a day earlier, the highest since modern weather observations began in 1904.

The extreme heat has triggered health emergencies across the country, with 14 deaths reported since mid-May, including a man in his 40s who died in Incheon on Monday with a body temperature nearing 40C (104F), and two farmers in their 60s and 80s who were found dead in South Chungcheong province over the weekend.

The KMA attributed the prolonged high temperatures to overlapping high-pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula combined with intense sunlight under clear skies.