Residents cool off at a water play area in Nammae Park in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, on Sunday, as extreme heat alerts were issued across seven cities and counties in South Gyeongsang Province, where Yangsan recorded a daytime high of 39.3 C. [Yonhap]
Residents cool off at a water play area in Nammae Park in Gyeongsan, North Gyeongsang Province, on Sunday, as extreme heat alerts were issued across seven cities and counties in South Gyeongsang Province, where Yangsan recorded a daytime high of 39.3 C. [Yonhap]

Seven cities and counties in South Gyeongsang Province were placed under extreme heat alerts on Sunday as Yangsan recorded a daytime high of 39.3 C, with one additional death presumed linked to heat illness reported.

South Gyeongsang Province had issued its first extreme heat alerts for Yangsan and Uiryeong on Saturday. Five more areas — Gimhae, Miryang, Haman, Changnyeong and central Hapcheon — were added at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The remaining areas of the province not under extreme heat alerts were all subject to lesser heat warnings or advisories.

As of 3 p.m. Sunday, Yangsan's daytime high of 39.3 C surpassed the 39.1 C recorded on Saturday, while Miryang logged 39.1 C.

Other areas recorded similarly high temperatures: Uiryeong at 38.3 C, Hapcheon at 38.2 C, Changnyeong at 38.1 C, Gimhae at 37.8 C and Haman at 37.5 C.

Heat-related damage continued to mount across the province.

As of Saturday, six additional heat illness cases were reported in South Gyeongsang Province, bringing the cumulative total to 112, while the death toll rose by one to two.

The latest fatality was a man in his 90s found unconscious in a rice paddy in Sacheon on Thursday, when the area recorded a high of 33.9 C. He was taken to hospital and died on Saturday.

Earlier, a 97-year-old woman collapsed inside a vinyl greenhouse in Goseong on July 22 and died after being transported to hospital — the province's first heat-related death of the year.

Reports of livestock deaths have also been coming in. By Friday, farmers had reported the deaths of 2,469 pigs and 8,130 poultry. Provincial authorities plan to verify heat damage at the affected farms.

South Gyeongsang Province raised its heat crisis alert from Alert to Serious at 10 a.m. Sunday and activated a disaster safety response headquarters involving 20 relevant departments to strengthen heat response in coordination with cities and counties.

Authorities said they will intensify safety checks on vulnerable groups, including the elderly, people living alone, farmers and outdoor workers.

The province also plans to expand cooling centers and heat-reduction facilities, and will promote heat illness prevention guidelines through emergency text messages, village broadcasts, electronic signboards and social media.

"We ask the public to recognize extreme heat not as mere summer discomfort but as a life-threatening disaster, and to follow heat safety guidelines without fail," a provincial official said. "We will concentrate our administrative resources on field-centered response and preventive outreach to ensure there are no further casualties."


greg@heraldcorp.com