The weather agency’s mid-term forecast has indicated below-average temperatures for Seoul for the next 10 days, with temperatures exceeding last year’s average due to the influence of a continental anticyclone stretching over the peninsula.
Christmas looks to be a frosty one for South Korea, with the latest forecasts predicting that the recent cold spell will continue until the year end while daytime high temperatures in inland regions will dip below zero, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Sunday (December 17).
The weather agency’s mid-term forecast has indicated below-average temperatures for Seoul for the next 10 days, with temperatures exceeding last year’s average due to the influence of a continental anticyclone stretching over the peninsula.
A brief respite is expected today, with the morning low rising slightly to minus 4 degrees.
The agency has issued a drought warning for areas including Seoul, inland areas of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Daegu, South Jeolla provinces, advising people to stay indoors and keep a watch for fire incidents.
A cold wave watch has also been issue for regions like Gyeonggi, North Chungcheong, Gangwon and North Gyeongsang provinces.
Jeju Island and cities in the west coastal region have received a heavy snowfall watch, with Halla Mountain recording 22cm of snow on Sunday morning.
Overnight snow fall reached 10cm in cities around the North Jeolla Province, with snowfall of up to 8cm expected today in the mountain areas of Jeju Island, said the KMA.
Last week, the city experienced temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees, with Tuesday (December 12) being recorded as the coldest day of the season for the city.
On Sunday, the city’s morning low of minus 9.7 degrees Celsius is 8 degrees below the 30-year average.
Even chillier temperatures are expected in Chuncheon, the mountainous Gangwon Province, with the mercury dipping to minus 14.7 degrees, while Gangneung and Daegu both reached 7.6 degrees and 6.4 degrees below zero, respectively.