Warmer winter temperatures expected this week

Temperatures are expected to become warmer this week compared to previous years, the Korea Meteorological Administration said Tuesday.

“Over Tuesday and Wednesday, temperatures are expected to reach up to 12 degrees Celsius in Seoul,” said a KMA official. On average, low temperatures in South Korea were expected to reach up to 6 C on Tuesday morning, with high temperatures expected to rise to 16 C. Normally, temperatures at this time of the year are colder, with lows of around 4 C and highs of 12 C.

On Wednesday, abnormally high winter temperatures are expected across Korea, with Seoul reaching up to 15 C and Jeju Island reaching up to 20 C.

As for the reason behind the warmer weather this week, the KMA stated that Korea is in the path of a migratory anticyclone heading toward Shanghai, bringing in relatively warmer winds from the west.

“Korea’s weather has shown trends where it's colder than normal when it’s cold, and hotter than normal when it’s hot,” said a KMA official. According to the KMA’s mid-term forecast, Korea’s capital and central regions will mostly record warmer conditions, with low temperatures reaching up to 8 C and high temperatures recording 16 C.

However, temperatures in Yeongseo, Gangwon Province, Gyeonggi Province and North Chungcheong Province are expected to record lower temperatures than other parts of Korea, with low temperatures reaching 0 C and high temperatures ranging between 10 to 13 C.

Meanwhile, the KMA also predicted late last month that this winter is expected to be warmer and wetter than usual due to global warming and El Nino. Temperatures from December to February are likely to be higher than average by a 61 to 67 percent chance. Higher precipitation can also be expected as El Nino, which warms the surface of the eastern Pacific Ocean, will reduce northerly wind inflows while increasing water vapor inflow from the south.