Subzero temperatures expected as cold snap strikes

People in their winter jackets at Cheonggye Plaza in central Seoul on Wednesday [NEWS1]

A subzero cold snap will put much of the country into deep freeze this week as chillier air moves in from the north.

The morning low in Seoul will be minus 8 degrees Celsius (17.6 degrees Fahrenheit) on Thursday, but strong gusts will plunge the wind chill to a very frosty minus 14 degrees Celsius.

Other regions in the country will experience similar levels of cold, with wind chill around minus 10 degrees Celsius.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Thursday's morning temperatures will be one to three degrees lower than Wednesday.

The weather authority attributed the daily temperature drop to cold air from the north.

The temperature in Seoul at 8 a.m. was minus 0.5 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and 3.9 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, dropping more than three degrees Celsius overnight.

On Wednesday, the southwestern part of Gyeonggi, the Chungcheong provinces, and North Jeolla were expected to receive up to 1 centimeter (0.39 inch) of snow or around 1 millimeter of rain in the afternoon and night.

The greater Seoul area was expected to experience drizzling rain or snow flurries.

The KMA warned of hazardous road conditions as frozen rain and snowfall could create icy roads and asked drivers and pedestrians to exercise caution.

The cold will climax this Thursday, the last day of fall.

Winds on Thursday could exceed 15 meters (49 feet) per second nationwide.

“Older people and people with weaker immune systems should refrain from outdoor activities and are advised to stay indoors,” a KMA official warned.

The cold snap will likely end Friday, the first day of December.

However, the Jeolla provinces will probably get snow that day, and Jeju Island will likely see snow or rain.

Starting next week, the weather will be milder with above-average temperatures.

BY LEE SOO-JUNG, CHEON KWON-PIL [lee.soojung1@joongang.co.kr]