Record Breaking Temperatures in South Korea
Seoul © Shade the UK
The Korean Peninsula experienced a record-breaking heatwave this summer, and we have seen a growing number of deaths and incidents of heat-related illness across the region. Now, with the announcement of a new white paper on the impacts of heatwaves across the South, it seems that the political discourse is shifting to place greater focus on the consequences of extreme heat.
From mid-July onwards, the Korean Peninsula suffered through one of the most extreme periods of high heat it has seen in recent history, with temperatures across the South hovering around an unbearable 35ºC for over a month. Driven by an unusually hot monsoon season and warm and humid winds pushed inland from the sea, the population saw little respite from the heat.
As the heatwave started to peak early in August, reports emerged from South Korea showing a growing number of heat-related illnesses (HRI) and, tragically, deaths. As of 11 August, the Interior Ministry of South Korea was reporting that health services had seen, cumulatively, almost 2,300 incidents of heat-related illness and 21 deaths.
In terms of who has been most affected by the heatwaves, it comes as no surprise that certain groups in the population suffered disproportionately more than others. For instance, breaking down the incidents by age group, we see how the over-65s were the most impacted population, with almost one-third of cases taking place in this group. Those who spend more extensive periods of time outside and undertaking physical activity were most at risk, with approximately 20% of cases being manual labourers.
Yet it has not necessarily been the intensity of the heat nor its longevity that made this recent spate of warm weather unique. Experts are warning that what made this heatwave particularly threatening to life and wellbeing is in the frequency of a phenomenon known as ‘tropical nights’.
No Respite from the Heat
Tropical nights are defined simply as periods for which temperatures do not dip below 20ºC (68ºF), even at nighttime.
For over a month, South Korea broke a series of records regarding the persistence of tropical nights. Looking to major cities, including the capital, Seoul, and Busan, another large conurbation, residents saw some of the longest streaks in recorded history. For example, as of Sunday 18 August, Seoul had experienced its 28th consecutive tropical night, where temperatures from the previous day had not dipped beneath 27ºC, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). This constituted the longest stretch of tropical nights since records began in 1907.
This left a number of health experts and residents concerned, owing to the particular health risks presented by tropical nights. Specifically, if temperatures throughout the night persist at uncomfortably high levels, this precludes the body of an opportunity to cool down. As a result, our bodies experience more prolonged heat stress, exacerbating the ill effects of high temperatures.
Not only does it increase our chances of developing HRIs, including heat exhaustion and heat stress, but it can also mount increasing pressure on the cardiovascular system, putting those at risk, namely the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions, in greater danger of strokes and heart attacks.
A similar situation occurred some years ago in 2018, when the country experienced the worst heatwave in its history; with temperatures peaking at 39.6ºC and the heat lasting for weeks, over 3,400 people were treated for HRI and a record 42 people lost their lives. And throughout August, with forecasters having predicted a continuation of the heatwave until at least the end of the month, owing to the convergence of high-pressure systems over the Korean Peninsula, concern that this period of extreme heat might rival that of 6 years ago soared.
It is feared that events such as these are becoming very much the new norm in the region - according to a recent analysis from Greenpeace, the frequency of extreme heat days experienced by major cities has increased by approximately 2.4-fold in just the past decade. According to the analysis, cities have seen, on average, 51.1 extreme heat days annually over the past decade, in comparison to just 21 days in the preceding decade.
As a result of this growing trend, it would appear that the Korean government is recentering heatwaves as a key factor with regards to future planning across the nation.
Photograph: Ahn Young-joon/AP via The Guardian
A Heatwaves White Paper
This increased incidence of heatwaves and heat-related illnesses across the region has led the Korean government, via the KMA, to announce its plans to draw up and publish a white paper on heatwaves across the region. This will be the first-ever white paper that the KMA has published on heatwaves, reflecting how recent dramatic events are reshaping how policymakers and public bodies perceive the threat of high heat.
Although the administration has previously published white papers across a range of natural disasters, including extreme monsoon rains and typhoons, it has never focused its attention on heatwaves.
The white paper, set to be completed and published by the end of 2024, will explore the history and impacts of heatwaves in the region, analyse mid- and long-term forecasts, and examine the impacts of heatwaves on wider society. This will be with a view to influencing future planning and preparedness for these events.
And this is exactly why this announcement is so important - reflecting the growing recognition that heatwaves will result in a greater economic and healthcare toll, it is encouraging to see such behaviour at the highest levels of government. That said, it would be better for governments to behave less reactively to these events; if decision makers could plan for extremes of heat before they strike, high death tolls could be averted in the first instance.
The Economic Factor
One of the key factors in this recent spate of heatwaves that might have been an influence in the KMA’s decision has been the unique economic toll. Over just a few weeks, the toll heat took on livestock populations was extensive, with over 700,000 domestic animals, including 658,000 poultry and approximately 45,000 pigs, perishing as a result. Further, as sea temperatures too have skyrocketed, aquaculture facilities have also reported a loss of 895,000 fish.
Most recently, concern has grown in the agricultural industry surrounding the production of a staple of Korean cuisine – kimchi, a form of spiced and fermented cabbage originating in the country, is now under threat as heatwaves are threatening to destabilise cabbage supply. Looking at year-on-year prices, the cost of a single cabbage increased by approximately 69%.
This reflects the potential risks heatwaves present across sectors of society, including agriculture and food security.
As the population bakes and looks for solutions to cool themselves throughout this period, the government recently published data showing that the nation had recently broken their record for the amount of energy consumed in one day, as people turn to air conditioning systems and fans to beat the heat. Over one weekend, total energy demand peaked at 94.6 GW, with authorities maximising the capacity of nuclear reactors and liquefied natural gas (LNG) power plants to ensure a stable supply.
STUK Analysis
Whilst we at Shade the UK appreciate all efforts by governments to put the growing risk of heatwaves front and centre in their planning, it is unfortunate that it seems to take a disaster to motivate this kind of rethinking. Climate scientists have warned for decades that a warmer climate will necessarily result in a greater incidence and severity of heatwaves, giving decision makers plenty of time to prepare for the worst effects of global warming.
Therefore, the recommendations that our team would provide on the back of this latest news include the following:
Country-Specific Heatwave Analysis: Every country, both those currently at risk of lethal heatwaves and those for whom the risk is growing, should undertake an analysis, much like the South Korean government is conducting, that seeks to assess risk factors, impacts, and future predictions of heatwaves across their territories. This will provide governments and policymakers with a clearer picture of the specific impacts growing heat will have on their countries.
Heatwave Contingency Planning: Understanding the specific risks of heatwaves in a given nation, each country should develop an in-depth contingency plan for when heatwaves do strike. Of necessity, these contingency plans would prioritise the wellbeing of those in the population most at risk, including the elderly and those in jobs that are most exposed to the heat, and should be tailored on a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood basis.
Resilience Building: Instead of behaving reactively as each heatwave comes around, countries should leverage their unique heatwave profile to determine key interventions that will allow them to limit how they are impacted, i.e. through introducing more climate adaptive measures. These should, on the whole, avoid solutions that exacerbate the underlying problem, for instance in the introduction of more air conditioning units or tactics that consume large amounts of energy.
We at Shade the UK are currently working on some initiatives to build resilience into neighbourhoods here in London. One of our flagship projects is with Camden Council, where we are carrying out neighbourhood-wide adaptation analyses to improve the local built environment and safeguard the local population.
To learn more about our work, please visit our website.
