Heat haze rises from a road in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, Monday.
Yonhap An intense heat wave gripping the Korean Peninsula is shifting westward, with the greater Seoul area bracing for conditions even hotter than in past weeks and authorities rolling out measures to protect vulnerable residents.
A heat wave emergency warning, the highest alert level, will take effect at 11 a.m.
Tuesday in southeastern and southwestern Seoul, Osan, Hanam and western Yeoju in Gyeonggi Province and Jangseong and northern Gokseong in South Jeolla Province, marking the first time the warning will have been issued in the greater Seoul area since the new alert system was introduced in June.
The warning is issued when a region that has already had a perceived temperature of 35 degrees Celsius or higher for at least two consecutive days is expected to reach a perceived temperature of 38 degrees or higher, or an actual temperature of 39 degrees or higher, for at least one more day.
