New Delhi, Aug. 13 -- Potatoes are 'boiling' in the ground, lions are dying at a zoo, as record heat is gripping swathes of Asia, with extreme temperatures affecting South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and China.

Most of South Korea has been reeling under an intense heatwave, with temperatures in the densely populated greater Seoul area, home to 20 million people, and adjacent areas soaring to nearly 40degC (104degF), local media reported.

In Yanghu, around 130km north-east of Seoul, farmer Lee Sang-hyuk discovered that many of his potatoes had been destroyed by the extreme heat.

The crop, grown in South Korea's Gangwon province, had appeared healthy just a week earlier. But when Lee dug into the soil, he found the potatoes were 'like boiled...