Arabfields, Cherifa Brahmi, Correspondent, Seoul, South Korea — A record-breaking heatwave across East Asia is leaving farmers, outdoor workers and vulnerable communities facing conditions that are becoming increasingly difficult to manage.

In South Korea, temperatures reached 42.5°C in Yangsan on 2 August, the highest temperature recorded in the country since modern observations began in 1904. The extreme heat has already been linked to at least 31 deaths, while more than 900,000 livestock and 1.4 million farmed fish have died.

The damage is particularly visible in the countryside. In Yanggu county, farmer Lee Sang-hyuk recently dug into his potato field expecting to find a healthy harvest. Instead, many of the potatoes had become soft and collapsed underground after days of intense heat.

For farmers, the losses are immediate. A crop that looked healthy only a week earlier can suddenly become worthless, leaving producers with little opportunity to recover their investment. Watermelons and other crops have also suffered damage in parts of South Korea.

The crisis extends beyond agriculture. Japan has experienced temperatures above 40°C, while Hong Kong recorded 36.9°C, its highest temperature since records began in 1884. In China, temperatures have approached or exceeded 48°C in some areas.

The figures underline how quickly extreme heat is changing the risks faced by Asian economies. The World Meteorological Organization has reported that Asia has been warming at roughly twice the global average since 1991. Japan, South Korea and China have all experienced exceptionally hot summers in recent years, suggesting that extreme heat is no longer an isolated seasonal event.

For people working outdoors, the consequences are particularly serious. Construction workers, farmers, delivery drivers and street vendors have limited options when temperatures remain dangerously high for several days. In Hong Kong, the latest record heat has also prompted questions about whether existing warning systems provide enough protection for outdoor workers.

The economic impact could become more significant if such conditions occur more frequently. Agriculture is especially exposed because crops cannot simply be moved indoors when temperatures rise. Livestock and fish farming face similar risks, while higher demand for cooling places additional pressure on electricity networks.

The current episode is also raising questions about food security. When extreme heat destroys potatoes, watermelons and other crops, local supplies can tighten and prices can rise. Farmers who suffer repeated losses may also reduce planting or abandon crops that have become too risky to grow.

Looking ahead, the evidence points towards greater investment in heat-resistant crop varieties, improved irrigation, better livestock protection and more effective early-warning systems. Farmers are likely to face growing pressure to adapt planting dates and production methods as periods of dangerous heat become more common.

The outlook for the coming years is therefore difficult. If warming continues at the pace observed across Asia, record temperatures could become less exceptional, while agricultural losses may occur more regularly. Governments will increasingly have to treat extreme heat as an economic and public health issue, rather than simply a weather problem.

For farmers such as Lee, however, the debate is much more immediate. When a field that appeared healthy a few days earlier produces little more than ruined potatoes, climate change is no longer an abstract prediction. It is a loss that can be seen, touched and counted at the end of a harvest.