HISTORIC SNOWFALL HITS SEOUL AND SURROUNDING REGIONS, LEAVING TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) — The heaviest snowfall for November in 117 years blanketed Seoul and its surrounding regions on Wednesday, causing injuries, disrupting traffic, and cutting off power supplies, as authorities scrambled to respond to the chaos.
As of 3 p.m., the capital city had received 18 centimeters of snow, marking the biggest snowfall in November since modern weather observations began in 1907. The previous record was 12.4 cm set on November 28, 1972, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).
Cars move slowly on a snow-covered road in Suwon, some 30 kilometers south of Seoul, on Nov. 27, 2024, amid a heavy snow alert. (Yonhap)
The city of Incheon, west of Seoul, also had record snowfall for November of 14.8 cm as of 3 p.m., beating the previous record of 8 cm set in 1972. Suwon, south of Seoul, received 21 cm of snow as of 3 p.m., the largest ever for any November precipitation, according to the KMA.
The heavy snowfall, which began in the early hours of Wednesday, has caused widespread disruption across the capital city. A subway station in Seoul bustles with commuters as record snowfall hit the capital city on Nov. 27, 2024. (Yonhap)
A heavy snow warning was issued in the northeastern districts of Seoul, including Nowon, Seongbuk, and Dobong, according to the KMA and the Seoul metropolitan government. A warning is issued when snowfall reaches 20 cm within 24 hours.
Gyeongbok Palace in downtown Seoul is blanketed with snow on Nov. 27, 2024, amid a heavy snow alert in the capital. (Yonhap)
Three people were injured, including one with a serious injury, after a snow fence installed near a construction site collapsed due to the snow in Seoul’s Songpa district. Over 170 households experienced a blackout in Seoul’s Seongbuk district, while dozens of others in Eunpyeong-gu also had their power supplies disrupted.
In Gangwon Province, one person died and nine were injured in car crashes due to the heavy snow. As of 6 p.m., 150 flights had been canceled at airports nationwide, including 71 flights at Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. The operation of 89 passenger ferries on 70 routes was also halted.
People walk in Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul as heavy snow piled up in the city on Nov. 27, 2024. (Yonhap)
The disaster control tower warned of traffic congestion during the morning and evening rush hours, pile-up accidents on icy roads, and safety issues for pedestrians due to the heavy snow. Interior Minister Lee Sang-min instructed officials to thoroughly conduct snow removal operations.
The city of Seoul began removing snow from the entryways of subway stations and around bus stations at 7 a.m. The city also extended morning and evening rush hour operations on the subway and intra-city buses.
The extended hours will be maintained until the Level 2 of the three-tier response system is lifted.
