서울 39도…111년 기상관측 사상 최악 폭염
It's the hottest day in Seoul since records began more than a hundred years ago.
As of about an hour ago it was 39 degrees in the capital.
And in the east of the country it's topped 40 degrees... for a new national all-time high.
Hard to believe, but as our Hong Yoo reports, it looks like the heatwave will get worse in the next few days.
Today, Seoul recorded the highest temperature the city's seen in its modern history -- 39 degrees Celsius.
People are hiding in the shade and fanning themselves, but there's almost no escape.
This extreme weather is expected to continue until Friday. Even at night it'll just barely get below 30 degrees, which is what scientists call a "tropical night."
Right now, almost the entire country is under a heatwave warning, the only exception a narrow strip on the east coast, which is on alert.
"This heat raises what they call the discomfort index, so my son and I are constantly looking for some shade. I'm also worried about our electric bill because we’ve been sleeping with the air conditioning on every night."
"Every time you walk outside of a building with airconditioning... it's like a really hot, hot wind coming in. And we're from Denmark, so we are not used to this weather. It's really hot."
"Just standing outdoors for a few minutes can make you sweat and feel dizzy. The hot weather is keeping many indoors. Even this popular tourist spot is quieter than usual."
Gwanghwamun Plaza in downtown Seoul is usually filled with tourists visiting the nearby royal palaces... and office workers going out for lunch.
But there weren't many of them today.
The same goes for Myeongdong, a popular shopping district.
Myeongdong usually so packed it's hard to move.
But today, the main street was almost empty, and so were the stores.
"Because it's so hot, we haven't had many customers this month."
"It's hot that now the government has declared the heatwave a natural disaster. And so customers only come when the sun's gone down."
If this goes on, there are worries about the danger to people's health... and what the effect will be on local businesses.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
