▲ A child plays in a water feature at a park in Gyeongsan, about 250 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 12, 2026, where a "grave heat wave" warning was in effect. (Yonhap)
▲ A heat wave warning is in place in the southeastern city of Daegu on July 11, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) heat wave-warning

(LEAD) 1st 'grave' heat wave warnings issued for Gyeongsan, Pohang

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SEOUL, July 12 (Yonhap) -- South Korea on Sunday issued its first "grave heat wave" warnings for the southeastern cities of Gyeongsan and Pohang under a new highest-level alert system introduced last month to warn of extreme heat.

The high-level warnings took effect in the two cities at 11:00 a.m., officials said, after temperatures soared to 39.9 C in Gyeongsan and 37.2 C in Pohang the previous day.

Temperatures reached 36.4 C in Gyeongsan and 36.5 C in Pohang on Sunday, with authorities replacing the warning with a regular heat wave warning at 4 p.m., according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The grave heat wave warnings issued in Gyeongsan and Pohang marked the first since the government adopted the new heat warning system June 1 to alert the public to extreme heat.

Under the new alert system, a grave heat wave warning is issued when the daily high is forecast to reach 39 C in areas where the apparent temperature has reached 35 C or higher for at least two consecutive days.

Under a grave heat wave warning, people are advised to avoid outdoor activities, stay in the shade and drink plenty of water.

Other parts of the country also experienced hot weather Sunday, with the eastern coastal city of Samcheok recording a daily high of 37.5 C, and Seoul hitting 35 C, according to the KMA.

The KMA forecast hot weather to continue Monday, with the daily high to range between 30 and 37 C.

Central and in-land parts of the country are also expected to experience rain showers Monday, with the broader Seoul area forecast to receive 5 to 40 millimeters of rain.

As hot weather grips the nation, 99 people were sent to hospital emergency rooms nationwide for heat-related illness Saturday, compared with 21 such patients the previous day, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.

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