The Seoul city government said on the 29th that, as of 11 a.m. on the 29th, heat wave warnings were in effect for the southeast, northeast, and southwest regions. It is the first time in 18 days since July 11 that a heat wave warning has been issued for the Seoul area, and the second time this summer.
A total of 19 districts are under the heat wave warning. Four in the southeast—Gangdong, Songpa, Gangnam, and Seocho; eight in the northeast—Jungnang, Seongdong, Gwangjin, Dobong, Nowon, Gangbuk, Seongbuk, and Dongdaemun; and seven in the SuNAM-west—Gangseo, Yangcheon, Guro, Yeongdeungpo, Dongjak, Gwanak, and Geumcheon.
A heat wave warning is issued when the day's maximum heat index is expected to exceed 35 degrees for two or more consecutive days.
The Seoul city government said it will strengthen emergency duty as the heat wave persists and concerns over heat-related illnesses grow. It also has heat wave measures in place by sector, including protecting vulnerable groups, operating cooling centers, and managing outdoor worker safety.
First, the heat wave response alert level was raised from "caution (level 1)" to "warning (level 2)."
In addition, the comprehensive heat wave support situation room will expand from five units to eight. Accordingly, three units—the traffic countermeasures unit, the facility restoration unit, and the disaster publicity unit—will be added to the existing situation control unit, livelihood support unit, energy restoration unit, medical quarantine unit, and rescue and emergency unit to further strengthen the heat wave response and situation management system. ◇ ◎ ▲
The comprehensive support situation room monitors in real time weather and damage status, and the protection status of vulnerable groups and facilities, and comprehensively manages response activities by sector.
Separately, the Seoul city government is keeping 24 district government buildings open around the clock as cooling shelters (emergency shelters) during the heat wave advisory period. The emergency shelters use public office buildings that citizens can easily identify and use, providing a place to escape the heat during a heat wave. However, the Gangbuk District Office, which is using a temporary building due to the construction of a new office, was excluded from emergency shelter operations because the temporary facility is too small.
The Seoul city government is also applying a principle of suspending outdoor work from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at construction sites it has ordered, except in unavoidable cases such as work related to urgent safety. It is guiding private construction sites so that heat wave protection measures can be implemented.
Choi Jin-seok, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Disaster and Safety Office, said, "As the heat wave persists, there is a high risk that citizen damage, including heat-related illnesses, will increase, so we will operate a response system to ensure heat wave measures work flawlessly on the ground with the top priority on citizens' lives and safety," and added, "We ask citizens to refrain from outdoor activities as much as possible and pay special attention to their health by getting enough water and rest."