Heat Waves Cause Dozens Of People And Hundreds Of Thousands Of Livestock In South Korea To Die

Illustration of Seoul, South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Syced)

JAKARTA - Heatwaves have caused a surge in patients with hot disease to 1,546 cases, and led to the deaths of more than 257,000 livestock, South Korea's Interior Ministry said Monday.

The day before, the temperature in Yeoju, located about 64 kilometers southeast of Seoul, reached 40 degrees Celsius, the first time since 2018 which was recorded as the hottest year.

The Ministry of Home Affairs said the total number of patients with hot disease from May 20 to Saturday reached 1,546, 10 more than last year's figure.

During that period, 11 people died from diseases caused by extreme heat.

The heat wave also killed 257,483 livestock from July 11 to Saturday, including 235,880 poultry. In addition, 5,867 flat fish from six fish farms died from heat.

The weather agency said the current heat wave is expected to continue for at least another 10 days, with the day's temperature remaining above average, ranging from 30 degrees to 36 degrees across the country's territory.

Last week, the Ministry of Home Affairs issued its highest heat wave warning with a "serious" status, increasing its response status to Level 1, which is also the highest level.

The ministry also advises people to avoid outdoor activities between 2 pm to 5 pm and find cool places if they feel dizzy, nauseous, or headaches.