Weather Alert: A Sharp Temperature Drop and Yellow Dust Expected on February 23rd

A significant cold snap is expected across most of South Korea on the morning of Monday, February 23rd, with temperatures plummeting by 5-10°C overnight. This will bring ‘brief cold’ conditions, with temperatures dropping below freezing in many areas.

Strong Winds and Dry Conditions

Strong wind advisories are in effect for Gangwon Province, the Gyeongbuk region, parts of Chungbuk, and Busan/Ulsan. Winds will be very strong, gusting up to 20 m/s, particularly until morning. Dry weather advisories are also in effect for Seoul, parts of northern Gyeonggi Province, the Gangwon mountains and coastline, eastern Jeolla Province, and the Gyeongnam region, as well as parts of Chungbuk. Exercise caution to prevent fires.

Air Quality Concerns: Yellow Dust

Yellow dust originating from the Gobi Desert and the Mongolian Plateau is impacting air quality. A fine dust advisory has been issued for Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province. A fine dust advisory is issued when the average concentration exceeds 150 ㎍/㎥ for more than two hours.

Air quality is expected to be ‘poor’ in Incheon, Gangwon Yeongdong, and Chungnam, and ‘moderate’ in other regions. Seoul and Gangwon Yeongdong may experience ‘very poor’ air quality in the morning, while Chungcheong Province may experience similar conditions during the day.

Detailed Regional Forecast (February 23rd)

• Seoul: Clear to partly cloudy (-2 to 5°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Incheon: Clear to cloudy (-2 to 3°C), precipitation probability: 0-30%
• Suwon: Clear to partly cloudy (-3 to 5°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Chuncheon: Clear to partly cloudy (-6 to 7°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Gangneung: Clear to cloudy (0 to 9°C), precipitation probability: 0-30%
• Cheongju: Clear to partly cloudy (-2 to 8°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Daejeon: Clear to partly cloudy (-2 to 9°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Sejong: Clear to partly cloudy (-3 to 8°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Jeonju: Clear to partly cloudy (-2 to 9°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Gwangju: Clear to partly cloudy (-1 to 11°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Daegu: Clear to partly cloudy (-1 to 12°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Busan: Clear to clear (3 to 13°C), precipitation probability: 0-10%
• Ulsan: Clear to partly cloudy (-1 to 13°C), precipitation probability: 0-20%
• Changwon: Clear to clear (0 to 13°C), precipitation probability: 0-10%
• Jeju: Clear to clear (4 to 12°C), precipitation probability: 0-10%

Marine Forecast: Waves will be 0.5-3.0m in the East and West Seas, and 0.5-1.5m in the South Sea. Waves in the offshore waters (within approximately 200km of the coastline) are expected to be 1.0-5.0m in the East Sea, 0.5-3.0m in the West Sea, and 0.5-3.5m in the South Sea.

Source: Korea Meteorological Administration

This article was created with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. A reporter finalized the article based on the AI-written draft and meteorological data, and it underwent desk editing.