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| The arrivals hall at Jeju International Airport is crowded with passengers, Sunday. A total of 95 flights, including 51 outbound and 44 inbound ones, were cancelled due to heavy snowfall of up to 30 centimeters on Jeju Island. The nationwide cold spell, accompanied by heavy snow and biting winds, is expected to continue through this week, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration. Yonhap |
By Lee Hyo-jin
A nationwide cold spell accompanied by heavy snow and biting winds, which has sparked travel chaos in many parts of the nation, is expected to continue through this week, according to the state weather agency.
The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said morning lows in Seoul plummeted to minus 12 degrees Celsius on Sunday, marking the coldest weather this season, with wind-chill temperatures measured at minus 21 degrees.
Other parts of the nation ― including the relatively warm regions on the southern resort island of Jeju ― also saw freezing temperatures between minus 15 and minus one degree.
Heavy snow advisories were issued on Saturday in most parts of the nation including Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju Metropolitan cities, as well as South Chungcheong Province and the mountainous areas of Jeju Island.
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The extreme cold and heavy snow led to travel chaos nationwide with dozens of flights and ships grounded as well as roads closed.
According to the Korea Airports Corporation, a total of 95 flights at Jeju International Airport were cancelled as of 9 a.m., Sunday. At Gwangju Airport, a dozen flights ― six inbound ones and six outbound ones ― were cancelled.
All 54 ferry routes in South Jeolla Province were shut down, grounding over 80 ships and ferries.
The state weather agency predicted the freezing temperatures to continue through this week.
The country may see a return to slightly warm weather from Tuesday afternoon, but following more nationwide precipitation on Wednesday, temperatures are set to nosedive again to as low as minus 10 degrees from the next day.
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