According to the Korean Meteorological Administration, this year’s winter is expected to continuously be colder than usual. Here are a few key points and tips to consider as we continue throughout this current month and the upcoming months ahead, and to be alert and aware of the measures needed when facing this year’s severe cold wave.
When a cold wave is expected to hit a specific region/area, government-provided advisories or warnings are typically issued to warn and guide the public on specific safety measures.
* Cold Wave Advisory is typically issued when
- morning temperatures have dropped and are expected to be lower than 10℃ compared to the day before, resulting in average overall temperatures being below 3℃ (37.4°F).
- temperatures below –12℃ (10.4°F) are expected to last more than 2 days.
* Cold Wave Warning is issued when
- the lowest expected morning temperatures have dropped more than 15℃ (59°F) compared to the day before, resulting in overall temperatures below 3℃ (37.4°F)
- temperatures below –15℃ (5°F) are expected to last more than 2 days.
During Korean winters, frozen pipes and boilers are not uncommon and can easily result in bursting. To prevent such events from happening, homeowners should
- frequently check the weather forecast and the Korean Meteorological Administration’s ‘freeze and burst’ typically provided throughout the winter months.
- put their boiler on the ‘hold’ setting when leaving your home instead of completely turning it off. Also, make sure to cover any exposed boiler pipes with any fabric, such as old clothing or Styrofoam, and use tape to cover small cracks in between.
- keep washing machines warm by covering them with blankets and maintain machine drainage pipes dry.
- adjust the tap enough for small drops of water runs to keep the pipe from freezing completely in the case of a prolonged vacancy.
- always maintain decent indoor temperatures during cold outdoor winter temperatures. The recommended temperatures range around 18℃ ~ 21℃ (64.4 ~ 69.8°F).
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