[Weather] First Day of Seollal Holiday Brings Nationwide Subzero Cold... Seoul and Daejeon at -10°C

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] On the morning of the first day of the Lunar New Year holiday, the 21st, the entire country will experience subzero temperatures and very cold weather.

From the afternoon of the 20th, cold winds have been blowing from the northwest, causing temperatures to drop. The morning temperature on the 21st is expected to be 5 to 10 degrees lower than the morning of the 20th (ranging from -6°C to 5°C). The inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon and the inland areas of Chungcheong will see morning temperatures drop by around 15 degrees. As a result, cold wave warnings have been issued for most of the central region, Honam, Gyeongbuk, and the northwestern inland areas of Gyeongnam.

Across the country, the lowest morning temperatures on the 21st will range between -17°C and -4°C. The expected lowest temperatures in major cities are Seoul and Daejeon at -10°C, Incheon at -9°C, Gwangju and Busan at -5°C, Daegu at -8°C, and Ulsan at -6°C.

On the 16th, when a cold wave hit with the morning low temperature in Seoul dropping to minus 8 degrees, citizens hurried on their way to work on the streets of Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

Temperatures will rise from the afternoon of the 21st. The highest daytime temperatures on the 21st are expected to range from -3°C to 6°C. The highest temperatures in major cities will be Seoul at 0°C, Incheon at -1°C, Daejeon at 2°C, Gwangju and Daegu at 3°C, Ulsan at 5°C, and Busan at 6°C.

On the Lunar New Year day, the 22nd, morning low temperatures will range from -11°C to 1°C, and daytime highs will be between 1°C and 8°C, returning to average seasonal temperatures.

However, rain or snow is expected nationwide during the Lunar New Year. In the central region and northern inland areas of Gyeongbuk, light rain or snow will fall occasionally from morning until evening. In the southern regions, precipitation will begin in the morning on Jeju and the coastal areas of Jeonnam, expanding during the day to Honam, southern Gyeongbuk, and Gyeongnam, continuing until night. Rain may persist until early morning on the 23rd along the southern coast of Gyeongnam and Jeju.

At the end of the Lunar New Year holiday, the strongest cold wave of this winter will arrive. On the day after the Lunar New Year, the 23rd, morning temperatures will range from -4°C to 2°C, and daytime highs will be between -2°C and 9°C, higher than average. However, on the 24th and 25th, morning temperatures will drop to between -19°C and -9°C, and daytime temperatures will only range from -10°C to 1°C.

Currently, storm warnings have been issued for virtually all maritime areas. Most seas will experience strong winds of 35 to 70 km/h (10 to 20 m/s) until the 20th, with waves reaching heights of 2 to 4 meters. The East Sea offshore area is expected to have such strong winds and high waves until the morning of the 21st.

Storms will intensify again during the return trip. From the afternoon of the 23rd to the 25th, waves of 1 to 5 meters are expected across all maritime areas.