SEOUL — With winter approaching, the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) has issued the first cold wave alerts of the season for several areas within Seoul and central regions of South Korea. The alerts, indicative of significant temperature drops, were activated on Monday evening.
According to Yonhap News Agency, cold wave alerts would be in place from 9 p.m. in parts of Seoul, particularly in the northeastern and northwestern districts, as well as in numerous localities in Gyeonggi Province and segments of Gangwon, North Chungcheong, and North Gyeongsang Provinces. This marks the initial set of alerts for the autumn season and reflects the expected overnight drop in temperatures by more than 10 degrees Celsius.
The KMA also announced that more severe cold wave warnings would be effective at the same time in some mountainous areas of Gangwon and North Gyeongsang Provinces, forecasting a decline in temperatures by 15 degrees Celsius or more. Such significant temperature differences are rare for this time of the year and indicate the onset of an early winter.
Residents are advised to prepare for sharply colder conditions on Tuesday, with morning lows ranging from 1 degree Celsius to 12 degrees Celsius, a stark contrast to Monday's lows between 15 degrees Celsius and 21 degrees Celsius. The KMA predicts that the minimum morning temperature in Seoul will reach about 3 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, which is roughly 12 degrees lower than the previous day, with an apparent temperature nearing minus 1 degree Celsius.
The agency has further forecasted snowfall for mountainous regions in Gangwon and potential snow in Gyeonggi and North Gyeongsang Provinces by Tuesday morning. This sudden cold snap, occurring after record-high November temperatures last Thursday, is expected to persist until Wednesday.