Cold waves swept across South Korea, with temperatures falling below 0 degrees Celsius for most parts of the country on Monday.

Morning lows ranged from minus 3 C to minus 18 C in the central, northern and western regions. Temperatures dipped to around minus 20 C in some mountainous and seaside areas in the northeast.

The Korea Meteorological Administration issued cold wave alerts for parts of Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province as of 11 a.m. Monday.

Wind chills will be lower than the actual temperatures with strong winds sweeping across the country.

The icy weather is expected to become even more freezing later in the week. The weather in Seoul is forecast to get colder with morning lows predicted to hit minus 10 C on Wednesday and minus 17 C on Friday, according to the weather agency.

Snow is also forecast along the west coast in the central regions Monday evening. The KMA warned of heavy snow in the southwest regions and Jeju Island from Thursday through Sunday.

Although the frosty weather is forecast to begin easing from Sunday, the temperatures are still expected to stay two to five degrees lower than the annual average, the KMA said.

The weather agency recommended people check boilers and water pipes in advance to keep them from freezing and bursting. It also said the elderly and children should take caution for their health, as they are prone to become sick in the cold weather.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)