'지글지글' 한반도,... 서울 111년만에 기록적인 폭염
The heatwave is where we'll start this afternoon. Yesterday's high in Seoul was a new record for the city, and Gangwon-do Province saw the highest temperature in the country since records began.
Now, today is not quite as hot as yesterday, but these temperatures are still dangerous, so everyone's advised to stay out of the heat and to make sure to drink plenty of water.
Won Jung-hwan has the latest.
Almost the entire country is under a heatwave warning.
And the temperature in the capital city soared to its highest in 111 years.
Seoul's temperature hit 39-point-6 Celsius Wednesday,... breaking the previous heat record of 38-point-4 set in July 1994.
"I came out to play with my children because it is too hot to stay at home. The record-breaking heat is making everyone very tired."
According to meteorologists,… high atmospheric pressure from Tibet and prolonged dryness have contributed to the extremely hot weather. And warm, dry air blown down from the eastern Taebaek Mountains has pushed up temperatures in the western and inland region, including the capital.
The nights aren't much cooler either, with some parts of the country experiencing 'super tropical nights',… where the temperature stays above 30 degrees Celsius all night.
There were several incidents caused by the heatwave.
In one incident, a KTX train travelling from Haengsin station on Wednesday afternoon was without air conditioning for over an hour after the system stopped working in 10 train carriages.
"The crowd all gathered in some carriage where the air conditioning was working, but to be honest, it was like a train carrying refugees, children crying and screaming."
According to data from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,… more than 2,200 people have been hospitalized with heatstroke or heat exhaustion, and 28 people have died from heat-related illnesses since mid-May.
The country has been hit by an unusually long heat wave after the rainy season ended on July 11,... and temperatures in Seoul and other parts of the country could further rise in the coming days.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.
