ISTANBUL 

The number of heat-related illnesses in South Korea has surged past 3,000 this year, with 28 deaths reported amid relentless heat waves sweeping the country, health authorities announced on Friday.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) recorded a total of 3,019 heat-related cases as of Wednesday, since monitoring began on May 20.

This marks the second-highest number of cases ever recorded, surpassed only by the 4,526 cases reported in 2018, Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency reported.

The latest figure has already outstripped the 2,818 cases recorded between May 20 and September 30 last year.

Meanwhile, the Korea Meteorological Administration has forecasted that the current heat wave, along with tropical nights, will likely persist through early September.

In the capital Seoul, the frequency of tropical nights has reached a record high, with 36 nights recorded this summer as of Friday. This includes a stretch of 33 consecutive days, the most prolonged period since modern meteorological observations began in 1907.