Rain along East Coast from Tuesday night through Wednesday afternoon
Gusts up to 70 km/h expected in Gangwon mountain areas
Coastal swells prompt warnings against fishing and shoreline activities
Tuesday will bring a classic early-autumn pattern of wide temperature swings between morning and afternoon. Temperatures in some inland areas will dip to around 12 degrees Celsius before dawn, but climb to around 30 C by midday — leaving parts of the central and North Gyeongsang inland regions with a daily range of nearly 15 degrees.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, morning lows Tuesday will range from 12 to 21 C, somewhat below the seasonal average of 16 to 21 C. Clear skies overnight will allow active radiative cooling — heat escaping from the ground surface — driving temperatures sharply lower. Areas including Inje, Pyeongchang, Yeongwol and Jeongseon in Gangwon Province, Muju and Jinan in North Jeolla Province, and Mungyeong, Yeongju and Bonghwa in North Gyeongsang Province are expected to see morning temperatures hover around 12 C. Afternoon highs will recover to near-normal levels, ranging from 24 to 31 C.
Forecast temperatures for major cities are: Seoul 18–30 C, Incheon 18–29 C, Daejeon 16–28 C, Gwangju 19–31 C, Daegu 16–29 C, Ulsan 19–27 C and Busan 20–30 C.
On days with large temperature swings, layering light clothing is advisable — a cardigan or thin jacket for the cool morning commute can be removed as temperatures rise toward midday. Large temperature fluctuations can weaken the immune system and increase susceptibility to colds and other respiratory illnesses, so the elderly, young children and those with health conditions should pay particular attention to staying warm.
The wide temperature gap is driven by a persistent "high pressure to the north, low pressure to the south" atmospheric pattern over the Korean Peninsula. Most areas under the influence of the northern high-pressure system will see clear skies, but the East Coast — where easterly winds flow in along the edge of the high — will be mostly cloudy with rain in places.
Rain will begin along the northern Gangwon East Coast and mountain areas from late Tuesday afternoon, then spread to the rest of the Gangwon East Coast and mountains as well as the northern North Gyeongsang East Coast and northeastern mountain areas from Tuesday night, continuing through Wednesday afternoon. Expected rainfall totals are 5 to 40 millimeters in the Gangwon mountain areas, 5 to 20 mm along the Gangwon East Coast, 5 to 10 mm along the northern North Gyeongsang East Coast and northeastern mountains, and less than 5 mm on Ulleungdo and Dokdo.
Winds will also strengthen. Gusts of around 55 km/h — reaching up to 70 km/h in mountain areas — will return to the Gangwon mountains and East Coast from Tuesday afternoon, and on Wednesday the strong-wind zone will expand to cover most of the country.
Maritime conditions will also be hazardous. Waters off the southern and southeastern outer reaches of Jeju, the eastern South Sea and the southern East Sea will remain rough for now, while seas off the northern South Sea coast and waters near Busan and Ulsan will see strong winds of 30 to 60 km/h (9 to 16 meters per second) and waves of 1.5 to 4.0 meters through Tuesday. Swells will continue to roll into the East Coast, the South Gyeongsang southern coast and Jeju's shoreline, with a risk of waves washing over rocky outcroppings and breakwaters. Fishing and other coastal activities in these areas should be avoided.
won@heraldcorp.com
