Cold spell grips country

By Park Si-soo

An unusually cold spell gripped the nation, Tuesday, with the mercury falling by more than 10 degrees Celsius from a day earlier to form ice in mountainous areas and even in Seoul.

It is the first time in seven years that ice has formed in October in Seoul, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The KMA expects the icy weather to last for the coming two or three days as extremely high pressure from Siberia, which stands behind the chill, shows no immediate sign of receding.

On Tuesday morning, the mercury dropped to as low as 0.9 degree Celsius in Seoul, the lowest level recorded in eight years in October for the city, while Daegwallyeong, a mountain path in South Korea’s northeastern region just kilometers south of the inter-Korean border, saw the temperature slipping to minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.

The summit of Mt. Seorak, a scenic mountain near the border, saw the mercury drop to below minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Ullung Island on the East Sea had the first snow of the year, which marks the earliest since 2000, the KMA said.

Southern parts of the peninsula also shivered throughout the day due to the cold spell coupled with strong winds. The authorities declared a high wave warning in waters off the southern coast.

Weather experts do not rule out the possibility that the earlier-than-expected cold results from global climate change.

“Climate change used to be criticized for ushering in the unusual heat in summer. But it’s to blame for the unusual cold in winter as well,” a KMA spokesman said.

The spokesman said this recent unpredicted cold spell could be evidence of changing climate patterns that have troubled different parts of the world throughout the years in the form of severe flooding, drought or scorching heat.