Seoul [South Korea], November 30: South Korea has just experienced the heaviest November snowfall in its history, while floods have killed dozens of people in three Southeast Asian countries.
Record November snowfall
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) yesterday (November 29) predicted that the country will face a winter marked by more frequent occurrences of heavier and wetter snow than usual, according to The Korea Herald.
Starting on November 27, South Korea witnessed a record two-day snowfall in November. The unusually heavy snowfall in November in South Korea is believed to be due to warmer-than-normal sea temperatures in the western part of the Korean Peninsula encountering a cold air mass.
Seoul, the capital of South Korea, saw its heaviest November snowfall since modern weather observations began in 1907 on November 27, with 16.5 centimeters of snow falling. As of 8 a.m. on November 28 (Korean time), the amount of snowfall in Seoul was measured at 28.6 centimeters. This is rare not only for November but for the entire winter, according to Yonhap. The heaviest snowfall recorded based on standard measurements at the Seoul weather station in Jongno Ward was 31 centimeters on March 24, 1922.
Heavy snowfall in South Korea stopped completely at 1 p.m. on November 28, with an average snowfall of 16.7 centimeters in 31 cities and counties, according to The Korea Herald. Some areas of Gyeonggi Province, which borders Seoul, saw more than 40 centimeters of snowfall.
Yonhap reported at least five snow-related deaths in Gyeonggi Province, including four people killed when structures collapsed under the weight of the snow. Officials said about 142 flights were canceled and 76 ferry routes were suspended. In addition, about 1,285 schools were closed in Gyeonggi Province.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper