Gyeongnam Province Mobilizes Full Response to Early Heatwave ... Raises Its Own Alert Level to 'Caution'

Due to the heatwave arriving earlier than usual this year, Gyeongnam Province has convened a situation assessment meeting and launched a full-scale response.

At the situation countermeasure meeting on the 12th, Gyeongnam Province decided to raise its internal response level to 'Caution' in line with the expansion of the heatwave advisory across the province and to strengthen its heatwave response measures.

Previously, the Korea Meteorological Administration issued a heatwave advisory for parts of Gyeongnam and Ulsan on the 10th, about a week earlier than last year.

In areas under the heatwave advisory within the province, the highest perceived temperature has exceeded 33°C, and even in regions without advisories, most areas have recorded over 30°C, indicating that the heat is expected to continue for some time.

Governor Park Wansu instructed, "As the full-scale heatwave begins, make sure that residents do not suffer any damage."

A meeting to review the response to the summer heatwave is being held in the provincial government conference room of Gyeongnam Provincial Office.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Office]

Accordingly, Gyeongnam Province will officially launch heatwave prevention activities such as: ▲ operating a dedicated heatwave response team (T/F) and situation management ▲ special management for vulnerable groups ▲ guidance and promotion of heatwave prevention at private and public workplaces ▲ promoting resident safety guidelines through village and street broadcasts, disaster text display boards, etc. ▲ and inspecting city and county preparedness.

In particular, to prevent casualties among agricultural workers and outdoor laborers, where heat-related illnesses have been occurring frequently, the province will conduct frequent on-site inspections and actively promote heatwave safety guidelines.

They will also cooperate with related organizations such as rural leaders and voluntary disaster prevention groups to conduct field patrols.

The province will check the execution status of the 2.02 billion won budget allocated to all cities and counties for heatwave countermeasures to ensure it can be used immediately where needed, provide additional budget support if necessary, and continuously monitor the operation of cooling shelters and shade canopies to prevent any issues during the heatwave period.

The province plans to minimize casualties by carefully responding on-site to vulnerable groups, such as farm workers, elderly people living alone, and workers in businesses exposed to high temperatures or outdoor environments.

Previously, in response to the Korea Meteorological Administration's forecast of more frequent heatwaves compared to average years, Gyeongnam Province held three meetings chaired by the Vice Governor since last May to review departmental plans and future key initiatives.

An official from the province urged, "During the hottest afternoon hours, please refrain from outdoor activities such as farming, sports, and various events, and take care of your health by resting sufficiently and drinking water frequently."