![A thermometer at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Songpa-gu, Seoul, reads 50 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, as all first- and second-division professional baseball games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday were canceled due to the nationwide heat wave. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/05/rcv.YNA.20260805.PYH2026080515300001300_P1.jpg)
With forecasters warning that Seoul's high temperature could approach 40 degrees Celsius in the first week of August, health authorities are urging the public to take strict precautions against the heat. The record-breaking heat wave has already claimed more than 20 lives from heat-related illness.
According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) on Wednesday, 198 people visited more than 500 emergency rooms nationwide with heat-related conditions, and one died.
Suspected heat-related deaths have been reported for four consecutive days, pushing the toll past the 20 fatalities recorded during the same period last year.
Daily heat-related illness cases have exceeded 100 every day since Saturday. The situation has grown particularly severe, with nearly 200 cases reported on two consecutive days following the 202 recorded on Monday.
Tuesday's fatality was a man in his 60s from Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, who had been working in a field.
![Fire department tankers supply water to Sagimaeul village in Buk-gu, Busan, on Wednesday as the heat wave continues. About 50 residents of the village, which has no piped water supply and relies on a mountain stream, have recently struggled with water shortages, prompting the North Busan Fire Station to dispatch 30 tonnes of water. [Yonhap]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/05/rcv.YNA.20260805.PYH2026080514700005100_P1.jpg)
The death toll for Monday was also revised upward by one. A man in his 70s living in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, was found dead in his yard that day.
The KDCA's heat-related illness surveillance system, which has been in operation since May 15, recorded a total of 2,441 patients through Tuesday. The death toll stands at 21.
Total heat-related illness cases this summer are running at about 75 percent of the figure recorded during the same period last year (3,238), but the death toll has already surpassed last year's. This indicates that heat-related illness is proving more lethal this summer. The case fatality rate stands at 0.86 percent this year, exceeding last year's 0.62 percent.
Among this summer's heat-related illness patients, 77.1 percent are male and 33.8 percent are aged 65 or older.
By condition, heat exhaustion accounts for the largest share at 61.7 percent, followed by heat stroke at 16.8 percent, heat cramps at 11.5 percent and heat syncope at 8.6 percent.
Heat stroke is the most dangerous of these conditions and is classified as a severe illness. Patients can see their core body temperature — the temperature of the internal organs — exceed 40 degrees Celsius, and may experience central nervous system dysfunction including altered consciousness, delirium and convulsions.
Prompt action can prevent death, making individual caution and the attention of those nearby especially critical.
To avoid heat-related illness, health authorities recommend showering frequently and wearing loose, light-colored clothing. Using a parasol or hat to block direct sunlight also helps lower the perceived temperature.
The heat wave has driven a sharp rise in parasol sales at convenience stores. According to GS25, sales of sun-and-rain parasols surged 220 percent year-on-year from July 1 through Sunday.
People are also advised to drink water regularly even when not thirsty. Alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which cause dehydration and disrupt sleep, should be avoided.
If someone shows signs of heat-related illness, they should be moved immediately to a cool location to bring their body temperature down.
hope@heraldcorp.com
