'Yangfrica' Now: Yangsan Swelters Under Record Heatwave

Yangsan, a city in South Korea's Gyeongsangnam-do province, is enduring a "hellish" heatwave, with temperatures soaring past 40 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days. The extreme heat has led residents to nickname the city 'Yangfrica,' a play on 'Daefrica,' a term used for the sweltering heat in Daegu.

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Shouldn't we call it 'Yangfrica' now, including Yangsan, instead of 'Daefrica' that likens Daegu to Africa?

Residents are finding it difficult to bear the oppressive heat, with many confined to their homes. "As soon as I step out of the apartment entrance, the hot air like a sauna hits me, making it hard to breathe," said Kim Sang-woo, 49, who has not ventured out much. Even simple errands like going to a convenience store or a planned family dinner have become challenging.

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As soon as I step out of the apartment entrance, the hot air like a sauna hits me, making it hard to breathe. I've never experienced such heat.

The city's normally bustling commercial areas, like the "Street of Youth" in Mulgeum-eup, were eerily deserted. Elderly residents seeking refuge from the heat gathered in shaded areas near the Yangsan Station of Busan Metro Line 2, fanning themselves in the oppressive warmth. Shop owners expressed distress over canceled reservations and a lack of customers, with air conditioners struggling to cool down spaces exposed to direct sunlight.

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Even with the air conditioner on, the area near the window where the sun shines doesn't cool down at all. Reservations are being canceled one after another. We need people to come for business...

The mercury in Yangsan reached a record high of 42.5 degrees Celsius on July 2, breaking the previous record set just a day earlier. The city has deployed more water trucks and provided cooling facilities in public spaces, but the pervasive heat makes these measures feel insufficient. The intense heat is attributed to a "double heat dome" formed by the Tibetan and North Pacific high-pressure systems, combined with hot, dry northwesterly winds influenced by the Foehn effect. Yangsan's basin-like topography, surrounded by mountains, further traps the heat, intensifying the problem.

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We're trying to stay indoors as much as possible, but my child was getting restless, so I brought her out. Experiencing climate change firsthand like this is terrifying. I worry about how the Earth will change in 10 years and the environment my children will live in.