Seoul issued a heat advisory for four southeastern districts — Gangnam-gu, Seocho-gu, Songpa-gu and Gangdong-gu — as of 11 a.m. Friday, just three days after all heat alerts in the city were lifted on Tuesday.
A heat advisory is issued when the daily maximum apparent temperature is forecast to reach 33 degrees Celsius or higher for two or more consecutive days. A heat warning, the higher-level alert, applies when the apparent temperature is expected to hit 35 degrees or above for two or more days.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government activated its integrated heat response center and said it would work with district offices and related agencies to protect residents and strengthen safety management at vulnerable facilities. The center is organized into four units — a general operations team, a lifestyle support team, an energy recovery team and a medical and quarantine team — to minimize heat-related harm.
The center monitors weather conditions, heat-related damage and the protection status of vulnerable groups and facilities, and coordinates response activities.
The four southeastern districts under the advisory are also maintaining their own emergency operations, stockpiling cooling supplies and emergency relief goods, and running coordinated response systems.
To prevent heat-related casualties, city workers will call elderly residents who need care every other day to check on their wellbeing, and will visit in person if they cannot be reached. The city also plans to increase staffing in areas with high concentrations of homeless people and to step up street outreach and patrols.
Measures to protect construction workers, who are particularly vulnerable to heat illness from outdoor labor, will also be enforced. The city will recommend that worksites guarantee adequate rest periods and provide shaded rest areas, and will inspect compliance.
The city plans to disseminate public safety guidelines through electronic billboards, its website and emergency text alerts, advising residents to limit outdoor activities, stay hydrated and rest during the hottest parts of the day.
"A heat advisory has been reissued for the southeastern districts just three days after it was lifted across Seoul," said Choi Jin-seok, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's disaster and safety office. "We will leave no gaps in protecting vulnerable groups and managing the safety of at-risk facilities."
Meanwhile, the KDCA's heat illness surveillance system recorded 443 heat illness cases in Seoul between May 15 and June 12, five of whom died. Two deaths occurred on Aug. 7, when the daytime high soared to 38 degrees Celsius.
cook@heraldcorp.com
