[Weather] Mostly Cloudy Nationwide... Watch Out for Fog During the Morning Commute

On Wednesday, December 17, the weather across the country is expected to be mostly cloudy.

The sky viewed from Namsan in Seoul is hazy due to fine dust and fog. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, some areas of Jeju Island will experience rain until the morning. In the mountainous regions and east coast of Gangwon, rain or snow is expected from morning until night, while the northern east coast and northeastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang Province will see rain or snow from late afternoon. The expected snowfall is 1 to 3 centimeters in the mountainous areas of Gangwon and less than 1 centimeter in the northeastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang. The forecasted precipitation is 5 to 20 millimeters for Ulleungdo and Dokdo, 5 to 10 millimeters for the east coast of Gangwon, around 5 millimeters for the mountainous areas of Gangwon, the northern east coast and northeastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang, less than 5 millimeters for the southern east coast of North Gyeongsang, and around 1 millimeter for Jeju Island.

Daytime temperatures are forecast to range from 5 to 12 degrees Celsius. As of 5 a.m., the temperatures in major cities are as follows: Seoul 4.5°C, Incheon 3.2°C, Suwon 3.7°C, Chuncheon 2.0°C, Gangneung 5.8°C, Cheongju 6.6°C, Daejeon 6.5°C, Jeonju 7.5°C, Gwangju 7.5°C, Jeju 13.1°C, Daegu 5.6°C, Busan 8.8°C, Ulsan 6.9°C, and Changwon 6.2°C.

Dense fog is expected in the inland areas of central Korea until the morning, and there may be icy roads and patches of black ice, so extra caution is advised to prevent accidents.

The concentration of fine dust is forecast to be 'bad' in Seoul, northern and southern Gyeonggi, Sejong, North Chungcheong, and Daegu, while other regions are expected to be at a 'moderate' level.

Waves in the sea are expected to reach 0.5 to 3.5 meters in the coastal waters of the East Sea, and 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the coastal waters of the West and South Seas. In the offshore areas (within about 200 kilometers from the coastline), wave heights will be 0.5 to 3.5 meters in the East Sea, 1.0 to 2.0 meters in the West Sea, and 0.5 to 2.0 meters in the South Sea.