South Korea baseball league cancels two games over heatwave

South Korea's baseball league cancelled two professional games Saturday to ensure the safety of players and fans in a heatwave.

The highest level of heat warning -- issued when temperatures are forecast to reach at least 39C -- has been in effect since Friday in Busan and Changwon, where the games had been scheduled.

Saturday's games between Samsung and Lotte in Busan and KIA and NC in Changwon were cancelled, the Korea Baseball Organization said in a statement.

"Severe heatwave warnings have been in effect for the Changwon and Busan areas since yesterday," it said.

"The decision was made with the safety and health of spectators and players as the top priority," it said, adding that the games would be rescheduled.

Scientists warn that extreme weather events such as heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense as a result of human-induced climate change.

Temperatures topped 40C in South Korea's southeastern city of Yangsan for a fourth straight day on Saturday, hitting a record 41.6C.

A reading of 42C in Yangsan would mark the highest recorded under South Korea's modern weather observation system, including automatic weather stations, according to Seoul's Yonhap news agency.

Interior ministry data showed 13 people had died among 1,701 who suffered illnesses from heat-related causes in the first seven months of this year.

South Korea issued its first-ever emergency heatwave alert in July, advising people to avoid outdoor activities and stay cool under a new warning system.