South Korea records coldest autumn morning as Typhoon Champi approaches
- South Korea experienced its coldest morning of the autumn season, with Seoul plunging to 5.2 degrees Celsius and mountainous regions dropping below freezing, ytn.co.kr reported.
- Temperatures fell by roughly 10 degrees Celsius overnight across the country, according to ytn.co.kr.
- Other northern locations also experienced sub-freezing conditions.
South Korea experienced its coldest morning of the autumn season, with Seoul plunging to 5.2 degrees Celsius and mountainous regions dropping below freezing, ytn.co.kr reported. The sharp temperature drop brought the first autumn ice to parts of Gangwon province, contrasting with a developing Category 5 typhoon approaching from southern waters.
Sub-Freezing Temperatures Strike Mountain Regions
Temperatures fell by roughly 10 degrees Celsius overnight across the country, according to ytn.co.kr. The lowest temperature was recorded at Mount Seorak in Gangwon province, where the mercury plummeted to minus 6.6 degrees Celsius and the wind chill reached minus 11 degrees Celsius.
Other northern locations also experienced sub-freezing conditions. Daegwanryong dropped to minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, while Cheorwon, Jecheon, and Paju hovered around minus 1 degree Celsius. In Bukchuncheon, Gangwon, the first ice of the autumn season was observed six days earlier than last year.
Cold Air Mass Triggers Brief Cold Wave Advisory
The unseasonable chill resulted from a mass of cold air packing temperatures near minus 15 degrees Celsius moving southward from five kilometers above the northwest, ytn.co.kr reported. These readings sat more than 5 degrees Celsius below typical seasonal averages.
A cold wave advisory issued the previous night at 9 p.m. was lifted at 10 a.m. as daytime temperatures were forecast to climb. Morning temperatures will remain in the single digits, rising by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius compared to today, before returning to normal autumn ranges by the following afternoon.
Typhoon Champi Advances Toward Southern Seas
Weather conditions face a secondary complication as Typhoon Champi, the 30th typhoon of the season, tracks northward from distant southern waters, ytn.co.kr reported. The storm is centered approximately 750 kilometers south of Okinawa, Japan, moving at a speed of 20 kilometers per hour after intensifying to a Category 5 level.
Forecasters expect the typhoon to weaken as it moves north and shifts its trajectory northeast toward Japan’s Kyushu region. Because cold air is already established over the Korean Peninsula, a direct land landfall remains unlikely.
Rainfall Expected Across Southern Provinces
Typhoon Champi will pass near the waters south of Jeju Island, generating impacts across southern marine zones, Jeju, and southern coastal areas, ytn.co.kr reported. Rain clouds are forming where incoming moisture from the typhoon meets the cold air mass.
Jeju Island anticipates up to 80 millimeters of rainfall, while southern mainland regions expect up to 40 millimeters. Precipitation will expand toward central provinces following the typhoon’s approach, bringing stronger winds and rain that require public caution.