Seoul braces for first severe heat warning as heatwave sweeps South Korea

Seoul is bracing for its first ever “severe heatwave warning” on Tuesday, as South Korea reels from a deadly heatwave that has seen the country record its highest ever temperature.

The south-eastern city of Yangsan reached an all-time national record of 42.5C on Sunday afternoon – the highest temperature measured in 122 ​years ​of weather observations – and now the heat is shifting westwards, approaching the densely populated capital of more than 9 million people, which is forecast to hit 38C on Tuesday followed by three sweltering days of 37C.

South Korea has recorded 16 fatalities linked to heat and more than 2,000 people treated for heat-related illnesses since May, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, President Lee Jae Myung ​called on ‌officials to take necessary ‌measures to protect the daily ‌lives of people and inspect power systems as demand for airconditioning surges.

“We need to make efforts for a fundamental overhaul of the national crisis ‌system, since this extreme weather is becoming normal,” he said.

Seoul authorities held an emergency meeting on Monday and launched initiatives to counter the heat and alleviate health risks. It is the first time the capital has seen a severe heatwave warning under a new system established this year as the government sought to improve how it responds to rising temperatures.

Nurses are conducting checks on up to 63,000 residents deemed most vulnerable, including elderly people and people with disabilities or chronic illnesses.

In an attempt to dampen rising urban heat in Seoul, a fleet of 200 trucks are spraying almost 2,000km of roads with water. The trucks are operating up to six times a day in the most problematic areas.

Tourists wearing traditional Hanbok dresses use a parasol to shield themselves from the sun at the Gyeongbokgung Palace in Seoul. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

Seoul’s pedestrian commuters have been snaking their way to work through patches of shade, avoiding direct sunlight even in the morning’s cooler early hours. Others have sought relief under mist-spray zones around the city.

Elsewhere, officials in North Gyeongsang province are flying drones equipped with loudspeakers to broadcast safety messages. The drones are also using thermal imaging cameras over areas crowded with people on summer holidays.

People flock to Haeundae beach in Busan amid the sweltering heat. Photograph: YONHAP/EPA

The nation’s highest temperature on Monday was 41.2C in Goryeong. Multiple cities and regions topped 41C and Seoul reached 39C in the Guro district.

Outdoor workers are bearing the brunt of the oppressive heat. A construction worker in Seoul, identified by the Korea Times only as Kim, said: “We take a 10-minute break every hour, but there isn’t even a fan here, so all we can do is sit in the shade … I sweat so much that my clothes rub my skin raw wherever they touch.”

Lee, a 55-year-old from Gwangmyeong who collects shopping carts in a supermarket car park, said conditions were brutal. “Lacking ventilitation makes the experience feel like being inside a sauna.” Concern has been expressed for food delivery riders.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has attributed the heatwave to overlapping high-pressure systems over the Korean peninsula combined with strong, direct sunlight under clear skies.

The heat in South Gyeongsang province, in the south-east, has been intensified by the “foehn phenomenon” – which occurs when wind crosses a mountain range and becomes hotter and drier on the other side.

Another factor in the heatwave mix is Typhoon Dolphin, which has the potential to make conditions better or worse, depending on its path.

People cool off under a bridge over the Cheonggyecheon stream in Seoul. Photograph: Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images

If the typhoon moves towards eastern China, it could increase humidity and potentially worsening the heatwave and tropical nights in Korea, the KMA said. But a path closer to the south of the peninsula could bring stronger winds, greater cloud cover and rain, temporarily easing the heat.

As of Monday, Dolphin was continuing westwards towards the Japanese island of Okinawa, south of the Korean peninsula. It is forecast to weaken further and make landfall as a category 1 or 2 typhoon.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change.