Seoul Gets First Severe Heat Warning as South Korea Heat Deaths Rise to 19
Updated
Updated · NBC News · Aug 4
Seoul Gets First Severe Heat Warning as South Korea Heat Deaths Rise to 19
3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Aug 4
Summary
South Korea issued its first-ever “severe” heat-wave warning for all of Seoul on Tuesday, telling residents in the 26 million-strong capital region to stay indoors, hydrate and check on vulnerable people.
19 deaths have been linked to the heat since mid-May, and President Lee Jae Myung called the extreme weather a national disaster, saying the crisis system needs a fundamental overhaul.
42.5C in Yangsan on Sunday set South Korea’s highest temperature in 122 years, with the heat that had been concentrated in the south now spreading north toward Seoul.
In Japan, 100F-plus temperatures are worsening recovery from the July 28 magnitude-7.1 Kumamoto earthquake, where more than 40,000 households still lack water and the death toll has reached 38 after an apparent heatstroke fatality.
Japan’s broader heat strain is also hitting wildlife and public awareness: three lions died of suspected heat-related causes near Tokyo, and the weather agency has adopted “kokushobi” for days above 40C.
With 42.5C temperatures straining South Korea's grid, how will authorities protect vulnerable outdoor workers from deadly overlapping high-pressure systems?
Could the unprecedented 42.5C heatwave trapping South Korea force a radical, permanent redesign of urban infrastructure before the next deadly summer?
As South Korea shatters 122-year heat records, will its drone-assisted alert system be enough to prevent a mass public health disaster?