SEOUL, (Pakistan Point News - 12th Jul, 2026) 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, Yonhap news agency reported.
The high-level warnings took effect in the two cities at 10:00 a.m., officials said, after temperatures soared to 39.9 C in Gyeongsan and 37.2 C in Pohang the previous day.
Temperatures were again expected to reach 39 degrees C in both cities Sunday.
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.
