Seoul recorded its highest mid-October temperature in 119 years on Sunday. Rain will end the unseasonable warmth before temperatures drop sharply from Wednesday
South Korea is bracing for a sharp cooldown this week after Seoul recorded its hottest mid-October day in 119 years on Sunday, with morning temperatures expected to drop to single digits in some regions from Wednesday.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cold air moving in from the north will bring a marked drop in temperatures from Tuesday onward. Morning lows are expected to fall to 6-14 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and as low as 4 C in some areas Thursday.
The shift will follow an unusually warm start to the week. Seoul hit 29.6 C on Sunday, marking the hottest mid-October day in 119 years since recordkeeping began in 1907.
Other regions also broke mid-October records, including Jeonju at 31.4 C, Daejeon at 30.2 C and Boryeong at 30.1 C. Chuncheon reached 28.8 C, its highest October temperature on record.
The unseasonable warmth will recede as rain moves in Monday and spreads to most regions Tuesday, ushering in a sharp autumn chill.
Showers of 5-10 millimeters are forecast in parts of the central inland regions Monday afternoon and evening. On Tuesday, rainfall of 5-40 mm is expected across much of the country, with up to 60 mm forecast for Jeju. Daytime temperatures will fall to between 19 and 25 C.
A sharper cooldown is expected Wednesday as cold air moves in from the north, sending morning lows down to 6 to 14 C, more than 5 C lower than the previous day in some areas. Daytime highs will range from 17 to 23 C.
Thursday could be even colder in the morning, with lows of 4 to 16 C. Inland areas could see temperature differences of more than 10 C between day and night.
Skies are expected to clear from Wednesday before turning cloudier toward the weekend, with daytime temperatures generally ranging from 21 to 25 C Friday and Saturday.
tammy@heraldcorp.com