Temperatures are expected to plunge below minus 15 deg C in most regions. -- PHOTO: AFP
SEOUL (Korea Herald/ANN): Bitter cold weather will continue to grip South Korea over the weekend, with temperatures plunging below minus 15 deg Celcius in most regions, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) on Dec 26.
The inflow of very cold air from the north-west in the upper atmosphere is expected to sustain the cold wave until the morning of Dec 27, it said. “Temperatures will run 2 deg C to 7 deg C below the winter average,” it added.
Morning lows on Dec 27 will fall to as low as minus 15 deg C, while afternoon highs will range from minus 1 deg C to 7 deg C.
Temperatures will rebound on Dec 28, with morning lows ranging from minus 6 deg C to 2 deg C and daytime highs from 2 deg C to 12 deg C.
Dec 26 saw the coldest weather of the winter so far.
In Seoul, the temperature stood at minus 11.8 deg C as at 8am (7am Singapore time), while wind chill temperatures dropped to minus 20 deg C.
Even harsher conditions were recorded in Gangwon province. At Hyangnobong Peak, a mountain between Goseong and Inje counties, the morning low fell to minus 21.3 deg C, with wind chill temperatures plunging to minus 35.3 deg C, according to the Gangwon Regional Meteorological Administration.
As the bitter cold persisted, cold wave advisories were issued for Seoul and Gyeonggi province, as well as Daegu and Busan.
Cold wave warnings were in effect for parts of northern Gangwon province, Jecheon in North Chungcheong province and the north-eastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang province.
A cold wave advisory is issued when morning low temperatures are forecast to fall to minus 12 deg C or lower and persist for two or more days, while a cold wave warning is issued when morning lows are expected to drop to minus 15 deg C or lower for at least two consecutive days, officials said. -- THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
