서울 39도…111년 기상관측 사상 최악 폭염<br /><br /> It's the hottest day in Seoul since records began more than a hundred years ago.<br />As of about an hour ago it was 39 degrees in the capital.<br />And in the east of the country it's topped 40 degrees... for a new national all-time high.<br />Hard to believe, but as our Hong Yoo reports, it looks like the heatwave will get worse in the next few days. <br /> Today, Seoul recorded the highest temperature the city's seen in its modern history -- 39 degrees Celsius.<br /><br />People are hiding in the shade and fanning themselves, but there's almost no escape.<br /><br />This extreme weather is expected to continue until Friday. Even at night it'll just barely get below 30 degrees, which is what scientists call a "tropical night."<br /><br />Right now, almost the entire country is under a heatwave warning, the only exception a narrow strip on the east coast, which is on alert.<br /><br /> "This heat raises what they call the discomfort index, so my son and I are constantly looking for some shade. I'm also worried about our electric bill because we’ve been sleeping with the air conditioning on every night."<br /><br /> "Every time you walk outside of a building with airconditioning... it's like a really hot, hot wind coming in. And we're from Denmark, so we are not used to this weather. It's really hot."<br /><br /> "Just standing outdoors for a few minutes can make you sweat and feel dizzy. The hot weather is keeping many indoors. Even this popular tourist spot is quieter than usual."<br /><br /> Gwanghwamun Plaza in downtown Seoul is usually filled with tourists visiting the nearby royal palaces... and office workers going out for lunch.<br />But there weren't many of them today.<br /><br />The same goes for Myeongdong, a popular shopping district.<br />Myeongdong usually so packed it's hard to move.<br />But today, the main street was almost empty, and so were the stores.<br /><br /> "Because it's so hot, we haven't had many customers this month."<br /><br /> "It's hot that now the government has declared the heatwave a natural disaster. And so customers only come when the sun's gone down."<br /><br /> If this goes on, there are worries about the danger to people's health... and what the effect will be on local businesses.<br />Hong Yoo, Arirang News. <br />
