Beware of heat-related illness as temperatures soar

Amid the prolonged heat wave affecting the Korean Peninsula, the number of South Koreans rushed to hospital emergency rooms nationwide for heat-related illnesses (HRIs) has topped 1,000 this summer, with half of them reported over the recent two weeks, a government agency said Sunday.

The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said a total of 1,016 people have visited hospitals for heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat fainting and other heat-related illnesses since May 23, when it began HRI monitoring. Ten of them died.

In particular, the weeks of July 24-30 and July 31-Aug. 5, when a heat wave alert was in effect for most of the peninsula, saw the number of HRI patients surge to 267 and 251, respectively, according to the KCDC.

The number of HRI patients this year already exceeded the 2014 total of 818 and is close to last year's total of 1,051, it noted.

The center said 75.1 percent of the patients were men and 26.2 percent were seniors aged over 65.

The KCDC said it will step up its HRI monitoring activities, as only those who visit hospital emergency rooms are classified as HRI patients.

Meanwhile, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the number of tropical nights reported in Seoul since July 22 reached 15 days. A tropical night, which is defined by nighttime lows staying above 25 C, was missing on only two days -- July 28 and Aug. 3 in the period.

The KMA said the unusually hot weather will continue through the middle of this month, forecasting the number of tropical nights in Seoul to rise to at least 23 days, the second most on record. In 1994, 36 tropical nights were reported in the capital, while the number reached merely five last year. (Yonhap)