Yangsan, South Korea, recorded a historic heat wave this week with temperatures exceeding 40 °C for two consecutive days [1], [2].
The extreme weather has halted normal urban activity, forcing residents to remain indoors and causing a sharp decline in revenue for local street vendors.
Officials and residents in the South Gyeongsang Province city said that the heat reached a maximum of 40.3 °C [1]. This mark represents a record-breaking event for the region, as the temperature remained above the 40 °C threshold for two straight days [2].
The surge in temperature left city streets nearly empty. Local business owners said there was a significant drop in foot traffic, as the dangerous conditions made outdoor commerce nearly impossible.
Kim Ji-ho, a resident of Yangsan, described the physical toll of the weather. "It feels like I can't breathe when I'm outside, and I feel like I might collapse if I stand for about 10 minutes," Kim said. "I think people are just trying their best not to go outside."
Small business owners and street vendors, who rely on pedestrian traffic, faced the brunt of the economic impact. With few people venturing out into the heat, sales plummeted across the local commercial districts.
The city's infrastructure and public health services have had to manage the risks associated with such extreme temperature spikes, a phenomenon that has become increasingly disruptive to the regional economy.
“Yangsan recorded a historic heat wave with temperatures topping 40 °C for two straight days.”
The occurrence of temperatures exceeding 40 °C for multiple days in Yangsan highlights the increasing vulnerability of urban centers to extreme heat. Beyond the immediate public health risks of heatstroke, the event demonstrates a direct correlation between climate extremes and immediate economic loss for small-scale entrepreneurs and street-level commerce.
