South Korea is facing two big environmental problems. There is a very hot heatwave and a serious drought in the province of South Gyeongsang. Since May, the heat has killed 16 people. Also, more than 2,000 people went to the hospital because of the heat. In the city of Seoul, the weather is very hot. In the southeast, there is not enough water.
The heat is very strong in the city of Yangsan. On Sunday afternoon, the temperature in Yangsan was 42.5ยฐC. This is the highest temperature ever recorded in the country in 122 years. Now, Seoul is preparing for its first "severe heatwave warning." To help, the city is using 200 trucks to spray water on almost 2,000km of roads. This helps to make the streets cooler for the people living there.
In South Gyeongsang, the drought is very bad. 17 of the 18 cities and counties in this province are in a state of drought. The water level is very low. On Tuesday, the average water reserve in the province was only 33.5 percent. This is the lowest level in South Korea.
The government is now helping the province. On Tuesday, they sent a national firefighting order to South Gyeongsang. They are sending 200 water tankers and 400 firefighters from other areas to help. These workers and trucks will try to solve the water problem. The government is watching the weather closely to keep people safe from the heat and the lack of water.