"Cold Wave Returns"... Nationwide Subzero Temperatures and Strong Winds on Monday Morning Commute

Dry Air Persists Along the East Coast
"Fire Safety Precautions Needed"

On Monday the 17th, temperatures will drop and strong winds will blow, making it cold, so caution is needed for health management due to the rapid temperature change.

Yonhap News

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on the 16th, cold air will move southward from the northwest starting that night, causing temperatures on the 17th to be 5 to 10 degrees lower than the previous day.

The morning low temperature on the 17th will be between -7 and 0 degrees Celsius, similar to the average, while the daytime high will be between 1 and 9 degrees Celsius, lower than usual. From the 17th, cold wave warnings may expand as morning temperatures drop to around -10 degrees Celsius in inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon Province, and from the 18th in eastern Gyeonggi, Chungbuk, eastern Jeonbuk, and inland Gyeongbuk. Elderly people and children with weak immune systems should avoid outdoor activities as much as possible.

For the time being, a pressure system bringing cold and dry winds from the north will persist, causing the air to be very dry, especially along the East Coast. The air will be very dry mainly in Gangwon Yeongdong and the coastal areas of Gyeongsang Province where dry weather warnings have been issued, and dryness will gradually increase in other parts of Gyeongsang Province, potentially leading to strengthened dry weather warnings.

Strong winds will also blow, so small sparks could spread into large fires. Special caution is required to prevent various fires, including forest fires. On the 17th and 18th, strong winds with gusts reaching around 55 km/h (15 m/s) will blow in most parts of the country, so facility management and safety precautions are necessary. Especially from the night of the 17th, very strong winds with gusts exceeding 70 km/h (90 km/h in the mountainous areas of Jeju Island) will blow along the western coast of Chungnam, the Jeolla coast, and from the 17th in Busan, the eastern coast of Gyeongsang Province, and Jeju Island, possibly leading to the issuance of strong wind warnings.

With a high wave warning issued for the central western sea, very strong winds of 30 to 70 km/h (9 to 20 m/s) will gradually blow from that night over the western sea, central eastern sea, and from early morning on the 17th over the waters off Busan, the southern sea, Jeju waters, and other parts of the East Sea. Waves will rise very high at 1.5 to 4.0 meters, so ships navigating or fishing and maritime transport users should exercise special caution. These high waves are expected to continue until the 19th.