| A bird's eye view of Buan County in North Jeolla Province, Wednesday, shows the region covered with snow following snowfall the previous day. Courtesy of Buan County |
By Lee Hyo-jin
Korea witnessed the coldest weather of the season on Wednesday with morning lows plummeting to minus 10 degrees Celsius in the capital region, prompting the government to issue hypothermia and frostbite warnings.
The mercury nosedived to minus 10.7 degrees in Seoul while neighboring Dongducheon and Suwon of Gyeonggi Province saw minus 12.7 and 11.2 degrees, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Cheorwon County in Gangwon Province recorded the lowest temperature nationwide at minus 13.3 degrees. The southeastern cities of Gwangju and Daegu recorded minus 4.3 and 6.1 degrees, respectively.
The influx of cold air from the northwest accompanied by biting winds caused wind-chill temperatures to drop to minus 20 degrees in some central regions, the state weather agency said.
The KMA issued cold wave advisories or warnings across the nation ― except for some southern regions ― from 9 p.m. Tuesday, predicting that freezing weather will sweep the country throughout this week.
A cold wave advisory is issued when the day's low temperature is expected to fall 10 degrees or more to less than three degrees, or when the morning lows are forecast to be lower than minus 12 degrees Celsius for two days or longer. Cold wave warnings can be issued when the day's low temperature is expected to drop 15 degrees or more to less than three degrees, or when morning lows are predicted to be lower than minus 15 degrees for two days or longer.
The KMA can also issue cold wave alerts if severe damage is expected as a result of the sharply dropping temperatures.
The weather agency explained that the current negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation ― the oscillation of atmospheric pressure between the Arctic and middle latitudes of the North Pacific and North Atlantic ― is sending major cold outbreaks south toward the Korean Peninsula.
Some parts of the nation were blanketed with heavy snowfall that began Tuesday afternoon and continued overnight. As of Wednesday morning, the weather agency has issued heavy snow alerts in the coastal regions of South Chungcheong Province, several areas in Jeolla Province and the mountainous regions on Jeju Island.
| Pedestrians bundled up in winter coats cross a street during rush hour in central Seoul, Wednesday. Newsis |
The KMA forecast more precipitation to arrive from Thursday morning, with Seoul, Incheon and some inland areas to see between 1 to 5 centimeters of snow, and then rain toward the evening. Gangwon Province may see between 2 to 7 centimeters of snow, while Jeju Island may be hit with the heaviest snowfall this season on the weekend.
The central and local governments are ramping up efforts to prevent possible damages to people's heath and property from the sudden cold spell.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety has raised its cold wave warning level from "attention" to "caution," the second highest in its four-tier system. It recommended that people use public transportation in their morning commutes, warning drivers of possible accidents caused by icy roads.
To prevent traffic disruptions, the authorities have mobilized over 13,000 workers and nearly 7,000 snow removal vehicles and other equipment nationwide.
The Ministry of Labor and Employment, for its part, conducted safety inspections on some 1,000 facilities, such as construction sites, to check on precautionary measures such as the provision of warm water and heating facilities to protect workers from cold-related injuries.
The ministry said that a total of 45 workers suffered from cold-related illnesses such as hypothermia and frostbite from December 2017 to March this year. No deaths were reported. The labor authorities said that outdoor workers, including those on construction sites, waste collectors and repair workers, were more frequently struck by such illnesses.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government has mobilized an emergency response system from Tuesday evening to take preemptive measures to minimize damages.
The city government has deployed civil servants to monitor the safety of vulnerable households such as elderly residents living alone and the homeless. It is also notifying residents to pay particular attention to their health and the possible freezing or bursting of water gauges.