Gyeongsan: South Korea on Sunday issued its first “grave heat wave” warnings for the southeastern cities of Gyeongsan and Pohang under a new highest-level alert system introduced last month to warn of extreme heat, Yonhap news agency reported. The high-level warnings took effect in the two cities at 10:00 a.m., officials said, after temperatures soared to 39.9 C in Gyeongsan and 37.2 C in Pohang the previous day.

According to Emirates News Agency, temperatures were again expected to reach 39 degrees C in both cities on Sunday. The grave heat wave warnings issued in Gyeongsan and Pohang marked the first since the government adopted the new heat warning system on June 1 to alert the public to extreme heat. Under the new alert system, a grave heat wave warning is issued when the daily high is forecast to reach 39 C in areas where the apparent temperature has reached 35 C or higher for at least two consecutive days.

Under a grave heat wave warning, people are advised to avoid outdoor activities, stay in the shade, and drink plenty of water.