First Extreme Heat Alert Issued in Incheon... City Raises Emergency Operation to Level 2 for Full Response

For the first time since the implementation of the weather emergency alert system, an extreme heat alert has been issued in Incheon, prompting the Incheon Metropolitan Government to elevate its Heatwave Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters to Emergency Level 2 and launch a comprehensive response.

According to Incheon Metropolitan Government on August 5, as of 11 a.m. that day, an extreme heat alert was issued for nine districts, including Ganghwa County, northern Incheon (Bupyeong, Gyeyang, Seohae, and Geomdan), and southern Incheon (Jemulpo, Michuhol, Yeonsu, and Namdong). The extreme heat alert is the highest level of heatwave advisory, issued when a maximum temperature of 39 degrees Celsius or a maximum perceived temperature of 38 degrees Celsius or higher is expected.

Because this is the first time such an alert has been issued within Incheon this year, the city plans to activate Emergency Level 2 operations and intensively manage sector-specific responses, including monitoring heat-related illnesses, supporting vulnerable populations, and addressing damage to agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.

As a top priority, the city has disseminated urgent instructions to all 11 districts and related departments, ordering them to minimize casualties and prevent safety accidents above all else.

Park Chan-dae, Mayor of Incheon, issued emergency directives to halt all work at public construction sites and strongly recommended that private businesses also suspend operations proactively.

Additionally, the city is using welfare assistants and local disaster prevention volunteers to step up monitoring and welfare checks for those vulnerable to heatwaves, such as field workers and elderly people living alone. Full efforts are also being made to report and respond to damages in agriculture, livestock, and fisheries sectors.

To prevent heatwave damage, Incheon is operating over 1,500 cooling shelters at public and private facilities. Among them, 197 are available with extended nighttime hours and additional access on holidays so that more citizens can use them. In addition, the city operates "Safe Lodging" at 23 accommodations to provide a place for vulnerable people to rest during extreme heat events.

Around 4,200 heat-mitigation facilities, such as smart shades and mist-style coolers (cooling fog), have been installed mainly in areas with high pedestrian traffic, including crosswalks. Thirty-seven water-spraying vehicles are being deployed to spray water on roads two to three times per day to alleviate the urban heat island effect. Firefighting resources are also being used to focus water spraying around shantytowns.

On the morning of the 5th, when an extreme heatwave warning was issued, an icebox filled with ice water was placed at a housing redevelopment project site in Michuhol District, Incheon. Photo by Yonhap News

Protection measures for specific sectors are also being strengthened. For high-risk elderly residents receiving customized care services, daily welfare checks are conducted, and the management status of cooling equipment at 170 welfare facilities for the disabled is being continuously inspected. Additionally, the health of around 30,000 people with chronic illnesses will be monitored through phone calls and in-person visits.

For homeless individuals on the streets, response teams are strengthening outreach activities and providing emergency sleeping arrangements and boxed meals. For shantytown residents, daytime and nighttime cooling shelters at counseling centers are operating to check on their health as needed.

To prevent heat-related illnesses among outdoor workers, 20 industrial safety and health experts are visiting workplaces to provide on-site guidance, and exclusive cooling shelters equipped with air conditioning are being operated for mobile workers.

To mitigate livestock deaths and minimize damage to the livestock industry, the city is providing farms with extra-large fans and will distribute one oxygen generator and 60 waterwheels to prevent damages caused by high water temperatures.

Mayor Park said, "The extreme heat alert is the highest level of warning, indicating that citizens' lives and safety could be in danger. All outdoor work should be stopped immediately during the hottest hours, and vulnerable groups such as field workers and the elderly living alone will have their safety checked on-site and appropriate actions will be taken."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.