Season's 1st sub-zero weather grips Seoul
People dressed in winter clothing walk on a street in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Yonhap
A cold snap hit Seoul on Tuesday, with the morning temperature dropping below zero for the first time this season, the state weather agency said, forecasting the chilly weather is expected to persist for some time.
Seoul saw the season's first sub-zero temperature at 10:50 p.m. Monday, and the mercury fell further to minus 2 degrees Celsius at 5:46 a.m. Tuesday, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said. The capital's sensible temperature was estimated at minus 5.9 C due to strong winds.
The agency said morning lows dropped by 5 to 10 C nationwide due to the influence of cold air flowing in from the north. Temperatures plummeted to minus 12.1 C on Hyangno Peak in Goseong, Gangwon Province, minus 8.2 in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and minus 8 C in Pocheon and Paju, both in the vicinity of Seoul.
In the central region, Chungju of North Chungcheong Province saw the morning temperature falling to minus 5.7 C. A cold wave alert has already been issued for Gangwon, North Chungcheong and some Gyeongsang province regions.
Nationwide, daily highs will range from 4 to 11 C on Tuesday, the KMA noted, forecasting strong winds with instantaneous wind speeds of around 55 kph in most parts of the country.
It also said occasional rain or snow is expected on Jeju Island, and the western coasts of South Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces.