October arrives with a chill: Crisp weather in store for long weekend

South Korea is getting a distinctly autumnal start to October, with temperatures dropping by as much as 5-6 degrees Celsius Thursday as cold air moved in from the north ahead of the three-day weekend.

Seoul’s daytime high was expected to reach just 20-21 degrees, down significantly from the 27-28 degrees recorded earlier in the week. Across the country, daytime temperatures also fell noticeably.

In Gangneung, Gangwon Province, the daytime high dropped to 22 degrees Thursday from 29 degrees the previous day. Incheon saw its high fall from 26 to 22 degrees, while Jeonju’s dropped from 29 to 23 degrees.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, mostly clear skies are expected across the country during the first half of the Oct. 3-5 long weekend, making for generally favorable conditions for outdoor activities. The Oct. 3 National Foundation Day, a public holiday, falls on a Saturday this year, and Monday, Oct. 5, has been designated as a substitute holiday, creating a three-day break.

Temperatures, however, will remain cooler than average through Friday, with day-night temperature differences of around 10 degrees in many parts of the country.

In Jeonnam-Gwangju and Jeju Island, rain is forecast from Saturday night through Sunday morning. Although the rain is expected to be relatively brief, strong winds, along with thunder and lightning in some areas, could accompany the showers as atmospheric conditions become unstable.

Typical temperatures for this time of year range from 10 to 18 degrees for morning lows and 22 to 25 degrees for daytime highs.