Two women gingerly walk up an icy road in Donam-dong in Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times |
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Cold weather is expected to grip the nation again this week with plenty of snow in the forecast.
The Korea Meteorological Administration said the mercury will fall to lower than 12 degrees Celsius below zero this week.
Heavy snowfall is expected in the northwestern part of the country by as early as Tuesday morning and will affect western coastal areas and Gyeonggi Province. In the afternoon, the chances of rain or snow are 60 to 90 percent in the Seoul area. North Gyeongsang Province will likely get snow in the evening. The expected snowfall is expected to range between 3 and 8 centimeters for Seoul, with up to 10 centimeters forecast for mountainous regions in Gangwon Province and some parts of Jeju.
On Wednesday, snow will likely fall in the southern parts of the country, including Daejeon, Gwangju and Jeju.
The weather agency has advised local administrations to be on guard against the snow. On Sunday, about 2.6 centimeters of snow in -6 degrees Celsius temperature brought traffic in Seoul to a virtual standstill.
Samcheong Tunnel in downtown Seoul was closed and terminals were filled with buses that couldn't depart.
Seoul City poured 85,000 bags of calcium chloride on the roads, the largest amount ever used for one day's snow. It said its staff was put on emergency alert on Sunday.
Prime Minister Chung Un-chan also called for swift measures. "We are expecting more snow and it is our duty to cause the least inconvenience for our citizens. Also, local administrations should watch out for any possible property damage caused by the weather," the Prime Minister said.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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