Seoul installs west coast CCTV to forecast snowfall

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has placed weather-observing video cameras along the nation’s western coast to help the capital brace for snowstorms, officials said Tuesday.

According to the capital, five closed-circuit television cameras were installed to detect early warning signs and give officials adequate preparation time, after a major snowstorm paralyzed Seoul last year.

The CCTV cameras were placed at two meteorological observatories in Munsan, Ganghwa and Incheon, and in Yeongheung-do and Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to observe storms coming over the West Sea.

Officials said the CCTV cameras will relay footage to Seoul’s disaster prevention center to help officials determine the amount of snowfall the city will see.

“Video footage from areas will help us devise preemptive measures against heavy snowfall, as it takes anywhere from an hour and a half to an hour for snow clouds on the west coast to arrive over Seoul,” officials said.

The city also plans to outfit its 251 snowplows with GPS to ensure efficient operation.

According to the capital, other measures to guarantee the city’s smooth operation during snowstorms include more buses and subway cars.

“Chances are that Seoul sees unusually heavy snow resulting from climate change this winter,” the official said. “Such measures aim to minimize the citizens’ inconvenience in case of a natural disaster.”

Separately the Korea Meteorological Administration announced that inland and mountainous areas can expect abnormally heavy snowfall between mid-December and January.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)