The sizzling hot weather continues to have Korea in its steamy grips,.. and will do so for the rest of the weekend.
The heat,... rising close to 40 degrees Celsius in some areas,... is more than just a discomfort as well,... the sweltering conditions have led to hundreds of people being hospitalized,... and even several deaths.
Park Ji-won reports.
Heat wave advisories and warnings are in place across most of Korea,... with daytime highs forecast to reach up to 38 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country during the weekend.
As the mercury continues to remain way above 30 degrees Celsius,... the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed on Saturday that over eight-hundred-80 people in Korea have been treated for heatstroke so far this summer,... and nine people have died as a result of the intense heat.
Over 75 percent of the patients came down with heatstroke over the past couple of weeks,... when the rainy season ended and sweltering midsummer heat kicked in.
Seven of the nine deaths also occurred during the past two weeks.
The agency says people most likely to suffer heatstroke are those who have to work outside in the searing heat.
Symptoms of heatstroke range from dizziness, nausea to fainting.
It says more than 60 percent of heatstroke patients this summer were people over the age of 50,.. thus older people and those with chronic diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes need to be particularly careful.
The Korea Meteorological Administration has also advised the public -- especially young children and the elderly -- to limit their outdoor activities between noon and 5PM.
The weather agency forecasts that the sweltering heatwave will continue for the next several days.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.