A farmer harvests rice in a field in Gyeonggi on Oct. 8 as the region enjoys mild autumn weather.NEWS1
Korea is expected to enjoy a warmer-than-usual Hangul Day holiday on Friday as cold air from the north stays largely out of the country, though rain is forecast for southern regions on Saturday.
Skies are expected to be mostly clear nationwide on Friday, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA). Temperatures are expected to climb gradually over the holiday weekend as the cold northern air that brought chilly mornings in recent days weakens.
“Strong cold air in the north is unlikely to push deep into Korea during the Hangul Day holiday,” Gong Sang-min, a KMA forecast analyst, said during a regular briefing Thursday. “Morning temperatures should also gradually rise.”
Warmer air from the southeast is expected to reach Korea during the holiday. Temperatures in western and southern regions are forecast to be 2 to 3 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than usual.
In Seoul, the morning low is forecast to rise from 13 degrees Celsius (55.4 degrees Fahrenheit) on Friday to 14 degrees Celsius on Saturday and 16 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Daytime highs are expected to reach 25 to 26 degrees Celsius.
Temperatures could still swing by more than 15 degrees Celsius between day and night in inland and mountainous areas.
Autumn foliage blankets the summit of a mountain in Gangwon on Oct. 7, as much of Korea enjoys clear fall weather.YONHAP
Rain is forecast mainly across southern Korea and Jeju Island over the weekend. Where and how much rain falls will depend on how much moisture arrives from the south and the position of an upper-level trough.
“As moisture moves in along the edge of a high-pressure system on Saturday, rain will begin in the morning mainly across southern Korea and Jeju [Island] before spreading to a wider area,” Gong said. “Areas where the moisture flow interacts strongly with an upper-level trough could receive heavy rain,” Gong said.
The influx of moisture from the south could bring another round of rain Monday and Tuesday, after the holiday weekend.
“Whether and how much it rains on Monday and Tuesday will also depend on the movement and strength of the northern trough,” Gong said.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
