뒤늦게 '펄펄', 온열질환 급증...다음 주 또 호우

As the mercury soars across South Korea, the number of heat-related illnesses, including heat exhaustion and sunstroke, are also on the rise as everyone feels hot under the collar.
Kim Hyo-sun reports.
After a record-long monsoon season that lasted for 54 days,... a scorching heat wave is gripping South Korea.
The mercury hit 38 degrees Celsius on Wednesday in the middle of the day in parts of the country,... with heat wave advisories and warnings issued across South Korea.
"An incoming high pressure system from the northern Pacific Ocean will lead to continued scorching heat."
The sizzling temperatures have also led to a surge in the number of heat-related illnesses,... such as heat exhaustion and sunstroke.
A total of 742 cases of illnesses related to hot weather have been reported between May 20th and August 18th,... with three fatalities.
While this is a significant drop compared to last year,... the daily number of heat-related illnesses over the past several days has doubled or even quadrupled on-year.
"Due to the long monsoon season, temperatures were lower than previous years in July and early August. It looks like we were not prepared for a sudden surge in temperatures."
Health officials highlight that most of the cases involve people working in fields and moving around outdoors,... advising the public to rest in the shade and to drink lots of water.
The hot weather is expected to last until this weekend,... with torrential rainfall forecast for most of the country next week.
Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.