Now Reading: Record heat in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong ruins harvests
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Record heat in South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong ruins harvests
South Korea recorded its hottest summer on record, with Yangsan hitting 42.5°C on August 2, the highest since 1904, the Times of India reports. Potato farmer Lee Sang-hyuk said his crop turned…
The Story in Brief
South Korea recorded its hottest summer on record, with Yangsan hitting 42.5°C on August 2, the highest since 1904, the Times of India reports. Potato farmer Lee Sang-hyuk said his crop turned “like boiled potatoes” in the ground. The heat has killed at least 31 people, 9 lakh livestock, and 14 lakh farmed fish across the country.
Japan saw temperatures above 40°C, coining a new category “kokushobi” for such days. Three zoo lions died of suspected heatstroke. Hong Kong logged 36.9°C, its highest since 1884, while its heat-stress warning for outdoor workers stayed at the lowest level. Scientists at Japan’s Weather Attribution Centre said the July heat would have been “virtually impossible” without global warming.
The Indian Opinion
Headlines call this a climate crisis, but the full story is more nuanced. The record heat in Asia coincided with an El Niño, which naturally reduces summer heat in Japan, yet temperatures soared. That suggests global warming is amplifying extremes, not creating them from scratch. The real test is not the temperature record but what governments do next. South Korea’s president promised a crisis system overhaul. Will he deliver in time for next summer, or will warning systems remain as weak as Hong Kong’s?
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
