Forecasters predict rain, wind, snow for weekend

Don’t get too excited about the warmer spring weather. Wind, rain and possibly even snow are forecast for the weekend, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration.

The weather forecast agency said that 30-80 millimeters (1.2-3.1 inches) of precipitation is expected to fall on Saturday through Sunday morning nationwide, with the southern coast seeing up to 120 millimeters of rain.

Along with the rain, much of the country is predicted to see heavy winds at speeds of 15-25 meters per second (34-56 miles per hour) throughout the weekend. If the wind speed is above 17 meters per second, it is classified as a typhoon.

The central pressure of a low pressure system that will move through the Korean Peninsula throughout the weekend is predicted to reach below the level of last year’s tropical storm Tenbin, which hit Jeju Island.

The lower the central pressure is the higher the wind is likely to be.

The weather conditions will be harsher on Sunday with snow mixed with rain expected to hit the central northern area, including the western part of Gangwon and eastern Gyeonggi.

Temperatures will plunge as low as 2 degrees Celsius (35.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in Seoul on Sunday with maximum temperatures of 9 degrees Celsius after 7-16 degrees Celsius nationwide on Saturday, the weather agency said.

Sunday’s weather would be 5 to 8 degrees below the seasonal average.

The weather agency forecast tomorrow’s weather to be warm with maximum temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius, adding that the cold spell will continue into the middle of next week.

Many weather watchers expected cherry blossoms in Seoul to be in full bloom somewhere around next week, but the cold weather has dampened the expectation.

“We expect cherry blossoms to bloom next week, but chances are becoming slimmer as the heavy winds and rain come along the way,” said a representative of the Korea Meteorological Administration.

By Park Eun-jee [ejpark@joongang.co.kr]