Heat wave warning issued nationwide

Pundits say South Korea is on track to recording.. one of its hottest summers in history as forecasters warn of greater heat this coming weekend.

Byeon Ye-young has the weather.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on Friday that its national heat wave alert level has been raised to "serious," its highest level.

The "serious" level is issued when over 40% of the country is expected to experience a daily maximum perceived temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or higher for more than three consecutive days.

Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters was also activated as of 2 PM.

A heat wave warning was issued for all of Seoul and many parts of the country on Thursday, with the capital back under the highest-level notice for the first time in 11 days.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, temperatures for Seoul will continue to hover in the high 30s, with Friday expected to see daytime highs of 37 degrees Celsius, 38 on Saturday and 37 on Sunday.

This summer's heat has intensified more rapidly than usual, with both daytime highs and overnight lows hitting record levels.

When compared to the same period in previous years, conditions have surpassed even the notorious summers of 1994 and 2018.

Also, the number of days with extreme heat and tropical nights is now the second highest on record.

The sweltering summer is also leading to a rising number of heat-related illnesses.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, a total of 107 people sought emergency treatment for heat-related conditions across the country on Thursday alone, with one fatality reported in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province.

Since May 15, the number of patients stood at 1-thousand-963, nearly 3-times higher than the same period last year.

Deaths have more than tripled from three last year to ten this year.

Heat-related illnesses are acute conditions caused by excessive heat exposure, typically accompanied by symptoms such as headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, and fatigue.

Without timely treatment, these can lead to loss of consciousness and can be life-threatening.

Byeon Ye-young, Arirang News.