A pedestrian is seen hunching over amid the sudden autumn chill while moving through Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno District, Seoul, Oct. 2. Yonhap

Chilly autumn weather gripped the nation on Wednesday, the first working day of October, as temperatures dived by up to 10 degrees Celsius from the previous day amid strong winds, the state weather agency said.

The influx of cold air from the northwest and strong winds lowered the morning lows to around 10 degrees across the country, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

Seoul registered 12.8 degrees as of 8:50 a.m., down 8 degrees from a day earlier, while Chuncheon, east of the capital, recorded 9.1 degrees, the agency noted.

The daytime high temperatures will be slightly lower than usual at 19-24 degrees, it said, cautioning against health problems caused by rapid temperature changes.

Winds will also blow strongly in most parts of the country, reaching speeds of up to 15 meters per second, the KMA said, adding ice may form in mountainous areas over 1,000 meters above sea level in Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)