One of the most intense heat waves in living memory continues to have Korea in its steamy grips.
Morning lows have been above 30 degrees Celsius in some areas and afternoon highs have flirted with 40 degrees on certain days.
The heat has already killed more than ten people in the country.
In a bid to cope,... people in Korea have been running their air conditioners round the clock,.. causing power usage to go through the roof.
Park Hee-jun reports. Koreans started their work week Monday in record-breaking heat.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration,... the morning lows in Gangneung on the east coast hit 31 degrees Celsius.
That's the hottest morning since the agency was founded more than a century ago in 1907.
It's also only the second time that the lows have been above 30 degrees.
The first was in August 2013,... when the mercury topped 30-point-9 degrees in the same region.
Heatwave alerts were issued for almost the whole country... with highs in the mid-30s or even higher.
Daegu was the hottest at 37-point-6 degrees,... while Seoul and Gwangju saw highs of around 36 degrees.
The heat has already killed 11 people this summer,... the first time a heatwave death toll has reached double digits.
Around 1-thousand-50 people are also reported to have been treated for heat-related illnesses, which, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,... is up 60 percent from the same period last year.
The center advises people to refrain from outdoor activities in the hottest time of the day, between noon and 5 PM,... and also to stay hydrated and cool,... especially those 50 or older, who are most vulnerable to the heat.
**The severe heat has also led to a huge increase in power usage.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy reported that between 4 and 5PM,... power demand reached 90-point-7 million kilowatts,... surpassing the previous record of 88-point-2 million kilowatts set this February.
That drained reserve power down to only 7-point-6 million kilowatts,... only 8-point-4 percent of capacity.
It's the first time this year that back-up power has dropped to the single digits.
"The weather agency says we should probably brace ourselves for a few more weeks... as the heatwave is forecast to continue until next month. Park Hee-jun, Arirang News."
