At least six people have died and over 2 million livestock were killed due to the heat wave sweeping South Korea this summer, the government said Tuesday.


According to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a total of 1,284 people have fallen ill due to heat-related illnesses as of Tuesday, while six have lost their lives.

A woman in her 60s living in Geoje, South Gyeongsang Province, where the hot spell has been the most intense with the daytime high reaching 37 degrees Celsius on Monday, was found dead in a rice field. 

Another man in his 80s was found dead in front of his house in South Chungcheong Province at around noon on Friday. The average midday high hit 33.7 C last week. 

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said Tuesday that over 2.1 million livestock died due to the extreme weather, including at least 2 million chickens, 35,000 ducks and 9,000 pigs at farms across the country.
The scorching heat is also affecting sea temperatures. 

Due to the warmer water temperature, at least 8,000 flatfish at fish farms in Busan were reported dead. 

At least five fish farms on the southern island of Jeju reported damage of at least 69,000 fish deaths, while six fish farms in North Gyeongsang Province reported a damage of some 36,000 fish. 

Flat fish, one of the most common types raised in Korean fish farms, can withstand a water temperature of up to 32 C. But water temperatures at some of these farms exceeded that level, the ministry said. 

On Tuesday, heat wave alerts were issued in 29 cities and counties, including Busan. Heat wave warnings were issued in at least 100 cities and counties across the country including Seoul and Incheon. 

The Korea Meteorological Administration said the scorching heat wave will continue to grip the nation for the next few days, with daytime highs hovering at 33 C.

“The current hot spell is likely to linger for some time, with temperatures in inland areas rising to around 33 C,” the KMA forecast.

Weather forecasters encouraged citizens, especially the elderly and children, to stay indoors, avoid the sun and stay hydrated.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)