Seoul recorded its highest mid-October temperature in 119 years on Monday. Rain will end the unseasonable warmth before temperatures drop sharply from Wednesday

South Korea is bracing for a sharp cooldown this week after Seoul recorded its hottest mid-October day in 119 years on Monday, reaching 29.8 degrees Celcius and surpassing a record set just a day earlier. But morning temperatures are expected to drop to single digits in some regions from Wednesday.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, cold air moving in from the north will bring a marked drop in temperatures from Tuesday onward. Morning lows are expected to fall to 6-14 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and as low as 4 degrees in some areas Thursday.

The shift will follow an unusually warm start to the week. Seoul hit 29.6 degrees on Sunday and 29.8 degrees on Monday, marking the hottest mid-October day in 119 years since recordkeeping began in 1907.

Visitors stroll through a field of blooming buckwheat flowers at Wahul Buckwheat Village, a rural tourism destination on the southern island of Jeju on Monday. (Yonhap)
Visitors stroll through a field of blooming buckwheat flowers at Wahul Buckwheat Village, a rural tourism destination on the southern island of Jeju on Monday. (Yonhap)

Buckwheat flowers, pink muhly grass and globe amaranth bloom at Boromwat Farm in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Buckwheat flowers, pink muhly grass and globe amaranth bloom at Boromwat Farm in Seogwipo, Jeju Island, on Sunday. (Yonhap)

The unseasonable warmth will recede as rain moves in Monday and spreads to most regions Tuesday, ushering in a sharp autumn chill.

Showers of 5-10 millimeters are forecast in parts of the central inland regions Monday afternoon and evening. On Tuesday, rainfall of 5-40 mm is expected across much of the country, with up to 60 mm forecast for Jeju. Daytime temperatures will fall to between 19 and 25 degrees.

Temperatures are expected to drop further Wednesday, with morning lows of 6 to 14 degrees, more than 5 degrees lower than the previous day in some areas. Daytime highs will range from 17 to 23 degrees.

Thursday could be even colder in the morning, with lows of 4 to 16 degrees. Inland areas could see temperature differences of more than 10 degrees between day and night.

Skies are expected to clear from Wednesday before turning cloudier toward the weekend, with daytime temperatures generally ranging from 21 to 25 degrees Friday and Saturday.

People walk along Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon Province, on a warm Saturday, Oct. 10. (Yonhap)
People walk along Mangsang Beach in Donghae, Gangwon Province, on a warm Saturday, Oct. 10. (Yonhap)

tammy@heraldcorp.com