Heat wave alerts have been issued in 173 regions around South Korea on Wednesday, including warnings enforced throughout Seoul.

The Korea Meteorological Administration(KMA) said heat wave warnings are in effect throughout the capital city as of 10:00 a.m. Similar warnings were issued for parts of the southeastern Gyeongsang, eastern Gangwon and southwestern Jeolla regions.

Heat wave warnings are issued when daytime highs are expected to exceed 35 degrees Celsius for two straight days or more.

With seawater temperatures staying high, alerts were issued for coastal areas, except for near the Seoul metropolitan area and along the northern coast of South Chungcheong Province.

Meanwhile, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency(KDCA) said ten cases of heat illness were reported on Tuesday, with the cumulative sum so far this summer surpassing one-thousand, or two-point-five times higher than last year.