Clear skies forecast for weekend outings, but big temperature swings expected

Saturday morning lows of 15–22 C, afternoon highs of 24–30 C

A visitor admires sunflowers in full bloom at a scenic crop field in Jucheon-ri, Ganghyeon-myeon, Yangyang-gun, Gangwon Province, on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

Most parts of South Korea are expected to see mostly clear skies this weekend, with temperatures staying near seasonal norms. However, the gap between daytime and nighttime temperatures is forecast to widen significantly, reaching 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.

Nationwide on Saturday, morning lows are expected to range from 15 to 22 C and afternoon highs from 24 to 30 C. Forecast lows and highs for major cities are as follows: Seoul and Incheon, 19 C and 29 C; Daejeon, 18 C and 29 C; Gwangju, 19 C and 30 C; Daegu, 18 C and 27 C; Ulsan, 20 C and 26 C; and Busan, 21 C and 27 C.

On Sunday, morning lows are expected to range from 14 to 21 C, with afternoon highs reaching 24 to 31 C. The 10-to-15-degree swing between day and night is forecast to persist for now across most of the country, except along the East Sea coast.

Tourists walk along the fortress wall of Hwaseong, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on Wednesday, enjoying clear autumn skies. [Yonhap]

Dense fog is forecast to cut visibility to below 200 meters in Gwangju and South Jeolla Province from the early hours of Saturday morning. Other inland areas are also expected to see fog with visibility below 1 kilometer, and motorists heading out in the early morning should take care.

Easterly winds are expected to gradually dry out the air across the Greater Seoul area and the Chungcheong provinces, as the winds pick up heat and lose moisture crossing the Taebaek Mountains.

Rain that began Friday is forecast to continue through Saturday along the East Sea coast and on Jeju. Less than 5 millimeters of rain is expected along the northeastern coast of North Gyeongsang Province and in the northeastern mountain areas from early Saturday morning, and in Ulsan from early morning through the afternoon.

In the Gangwon Province mountain areas, 5 to 10 millimeters of rain is forecast through the morning, while the Gangwon East Sea coast can expect less than 5 millimeters. Strong gusts of around 55 kilometers per hour (15 meters per second) are also forecast along the South Gyeongsang coast through Sunday.

On Jeju, rainfall is expected to continue through Saturday morning in the mid-mountain and highland areas, with an additional 5 to 20 millimeters of accumulation forecast.

keg@heraldcorp.com