Unseasonably cold temperatures swept across South Korea over the weekend, bringing gusty winds, rain, and even hail and snow to many parts of the country on Sunday.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration on Sunday, temperatures on Friday and Saturday fell more than 5 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average in most regions. The sharp drop was caused by a mass of cold air descending from the northwest, which clashed with warmer southern air to create a zone of intense atmospheric instability.
That instability triggered powerful upward air currents, which meteorologists say likely contributed to the development of wind, snow, rain and hail.
A pedestrian struggles with an umbrella turning inside out as hail and strong winds sweep through Seoul on Sunday. (Newsis)
About 1 centimeter of snow accumulated at the higher elevations of Seoraksan in Gangwon Province on Sunday, which is unusual for April. (Yonhap)
Snow settles on blooming flowers near Gwangdeoksan in Gangwon Province. (Yonhap)
Pedestrians brace themselves against the strong winds and hail that swept through Seoul on Sunday. (Newsis)
Pedestrians grapple with their umbrellas as strong winds and hail batter Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Pedestrians shield themselves with their umbrellas as strong winds and hail sweep through Seocho-gu, Seoul, on Sunday. (Yonhap)
A woman covers her head with a piece of paper as strong winds and hail sweep through Seoul on Sunday. (Yonhap)
Firefighters approach a streetlight toppled by strong winds on Sunday morning in Busan. (Yonhap)
