Overview

• The Ministry of the Interior and Safety raised the national heat wave alert to its highest level and activated Level 1 of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters at 2 p.m. on July 25.
• The Korea Meteorological Administration attributes the extreme heat to an overlapping hot, humid North Pacific high-pressure system and a dry Tibetan high-pressure system over the peninsula.
• Typhoons Francisco, Co-May and Krosa are moving northward south of Korea and may intensify the heat wave by funneling hot southeasterly winds.
• As of 10 a.m. Friday, 180 of 183 designated areas—98 percent of the country—were under heat advisories, with daytime highs forecast to reach up to 38 °C over the weekend.
• The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency reports 1,979 heat-related treatments and 10 deaths so far this summer, prompting the operation of cooling centers, misting stations and targeted safety checks for vulnerable populations.