South Korea recorded its highest temperature since records began more than a century ago, as authorities warn people to immediately halt all outdoor activities in affected areas.
Water vapour sprays have been set up in the streets of the capital Seoul and baseball matches cancelled as the heat rises.
The nation’s traditional ‘summer water gun’ festivals have never been more popular as people cool off by shooting jets of liquid at each other.
The south-eastern city of Yangsan saw the temperature reach 42.5C, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said.
This is the highest temperature reported since climatic conditions were first registered in 1904.
Yangsan has been the centre of an ongoing heatwave, where temperatures exceeded 40C for five consecutive days, while many other cities including Daegu and Busan saw temperatures climb into the high 30s.
More than 20 localities have been under emergency heatwave alerts issued when areas experiencing a heatwave are forecast to hit of 39C.
KMA urged people to ‘immediately stop all outdoor activities’, adding that ‘indoor spaces without air conditioning are dangerous’.
‘Move immediately to a cool place, such as a designated cooling centre or a shaded area, and stay hydrated while resting,’ it advised.
Prime inister, Han Seong-sook, ordered local officials to strengthen safety checks on residents and to ensure a stable power and water supply was maintained.
KMA data show the average annual number of heatwave days in the country has more than doubled to 19 in the past five years.
