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| Pedestrians walk on the street near Seoul City Hall in central Seoul, Monday. Yonhap |
A heavy snow advisory has been issued for Seoul and central and southwestern regions, the weather agency said Monday, forecasting nearly 10 centimeters of snow in some areas during the day.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said it issued the heavy snow advisory for Seoul; almost all areas in the surrounding Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon Province and the central provinces of Chungcheong; and some areas in the southwestern Jeolla provinces and southeastern province of North Gyeongsang.
A heavy snow advisory is issued when it is predicted that more than 5 cm of snow will accumulate over 24 hours.
In Seoul, the advisory took effect at 9:40 a.m., KMA said, asking citizens to pay extra attention to safe driving and walking in the snow.
Almost all cities and counties in Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, except for those close to the inter-Korean border and along the east coast, have been put under the advisory, KMA noted.
The heavy snow advisory also affects some areas in the Jeolla provinces, except for coastal areas, and mountain areas in North Gyeongsang Province, it said.
KMA previously forecast heavy snow for Seoul early Monday morning, but the actual amount of snowfall reached a mere 0.1 cm in downtown and 1 to 1.5 cm in southern areas. Bracing for snow-related traffic congestion, many commuters left for work up to an hour earlier than usual but eventually vented grievances about the inaccurate weather forecast.
KMA, however, predicted strong snowfalls for most parts of Seoul on Monday afternoon following light snow or a lull in the morning.
In Chungcheong provinces, where up to 7 cm of snow fell between Sunday night and Monday morning, an additional 3 to 8 cm is forecast for the afternoon.
In the southwestern city of Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces, around 10 cm of snow was recorded Monday morning and an additional 3 to 8 cm is expected during the afternoon.
Following snowfalls, the morning low in Seoul will dip to minus 12 C on Tuesday before rising gradually for the rest of the week, KMA said. (Yonhap)
