A cold wave advisory will be issued in Seoul and almost all other parts of the nation Monday night, as a cold snap is forecast to grip the nation for three days or longer this week, the weather agency said.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the cold wave advisory will take effect at 9 p.m. in Seoul and many other major cities and regions, including Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon.

The advisory is issued when the morning low is below minus 12 C for more than two consecutive days, or when the temperature drops sharply and major damage is expected.

Light rainfall of around 1 millimeters per hour fell in central and parts of southern regions Monday morning, with snow forecast for mountainous areas in Gangwon Province, east of Seoul.

After the rain or snow stops, strong cold air is expected to blow from the northwest, bringing down the daytime temperatures by more than 10 C from the previous day, the KMA said, adding the sensible temperatures will be far lower due to the heavy winds.

On Tuesday, the morning lows will further dip to around minus 10 C to minus 1 C in Seoul and almost all other parts of the country, the agency said.

It said the maximum wind speed will reach 35 to 65 kph in mountainous Gangwon areas and on Jeju Island, with wind speeds of 30 to 50 kph expected in other regions Monday and Tuesday.

The KMA said the latest cold wave is expected to last for about three days or longer, asking the people to pay special attention to their health particularly due to the strong winds and far lower apparent temperatures. (Yonhap)