Cold snap hits Seoul as weather agency issues advisories

People commute to work in Gwanghwamun, central Seoul, on Nov. 24. [NEWS1]

A cold snap is engulfing Korea on Friday as temperatures in parts of the country dip below the freezing point.

Seoul recorded minus 2.6 degrees Celsius as of 10 a.m. on Friday, down by over 10 degrees compared to the previous day, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The cold spell will likely continue through Sunday, followed by rain on Monday. The KMA said winter chills will soon cover the country after the rain throughout next week, with temperatures possibly dipping below the freezing point.

Gyeonggi recorded minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, while southern cities like Busan and Daegu maintained higher temperatures at 6.4 degrees Celsius and 3.9 degrees Celsius, respectively.

A cold wave advisory was issued for Seoul and some eastern regions on Thursday as the temperature is forecast to fall sharply the following day, the KMA said.

The cold wave advisory took effect for all of Seoul at 9 p.m. Thursday.

It added that the advisory was also issued for Chuncheon, Gangwon, and the adjacent regions in the province, as well as Busan.

The advisory is issued when the morning low comes below minus 12 degrees Celsius for more than two consecutive days or when the temperature drops more than 10 degrees Celsius to below minus 3 degrees Celsius.

The KMA said some central regions and Jeju are forecast to see some rain or snow early Friday, adding that the cold wave is forecast to continue through the weekend.

The Interior Ministry raised the warning level against the cold wave by one notch from "attention" to "caution" and held an emergency meeting with relevant ministries to devise measures to prevent potential damage.

The Seoul city government activated emergency plans to brace for the cold spell, including beefing up the monitoring of facilities and potential damage and extending support for older adults and other vulnerable people, officials said.

BY PARK EUN-JEE, YONHAP [park.eunjee@joongnag.co.kr]