A cold wave gripped the nation Wednesday, with cold wave alerts issued for most parts of the country.

Temperatures plunged below minus 23 degrees Celsius in Hoengseong, Gangwon Province, Wednesday morning, and below minus 15 degrees in Jecheon, North Chungcheong Province, and Bonghwa, North Gyeongsang Province.

Afternoon highs are also expected to stay below the freezing point in the country’s central region, around minus five degrees Celsius. 

The cold spell is likely to continue into the weekend, with morning lows forecast to dip to minus 12 degrees in Seoul on Thursday and Friday.

Heavy snow advisories are in place for the Jeolla provinces and Jeju Island, with parts of those regions expected to see snow fall at rates of three to five centimeters per hour.

Mountainous areas of Jeju Island can expect more than 20 centimeters of snow through Thursday morning, while the Jeolla region is expected to see more than 15 centimeters. 

Up to ten centimeters of snow is expected in the western coastal areas of South Chungcheong Province.