South Korea's Seoul inundated by record November snowfall

South Korea's capital, Seoul, was hit by the worst November snowstorm in more than a century on Wednesday.

The snow knocked out power, disrupted transportation, grounded flights and left at least two people dead. 

It was Seoul's first snow of the winter season, with more than 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) falling in the city's north, according to the national weather agency.

That broke the previous record of 12.4 centimeters set on November 28, 1972, and marked the city's heaviest November snowfall since records began in 1907.

The storm covered other parts of the country as well, with the central, eastern and southwestern regions also getting a large amount of snow.

Tourists visiting Seoul went out to take photos in the white winter landscapeImage: Lee Jin-man/AP/picture alliance

What caused the unusually heavy snow?

Seoul's Meteorology Forecast Division told the French AFP news agency that the heavy snowfall was caused by a "significant temperature difference between the sea surface and the cold air."

"Over the West Sea, moisture forms, and when cold air from the north moves down as it typically does, if the West Sea is also cold as in previous years, the temperature difference is smaller," the agency's director Youn Ki-han explained. 

But unusually warm temperatures in recent weeks made the difference more pronounced.

Emergency workers were deployed to respond to falling trees and other risks from the weather conditionsImage: Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo/picture alliance

Youn added that "the strong snow was consistently carried by the westerly winds, pushing it into the Seoul metropolitan area.

"Snow kept falling in the same areas repeatedly, leading to greater accumulation," he said.

Snow was expected to continue falling until noon on Thursday, with up to 20 centimeters of additional snowfall is expected to fall, the weather agency said.

Traffic was severely impacted in Seoul as a result of the heavy snow and icy roadsImage: Yonhap/picture alliance

Hundreds of flights canceled or delayed

More than 300 flights were canceled or delayed at airports across the country, while nearly 100 ferries serving islands were suspended.

Icy road conditions took a toll on the morning commute in Seoul, causing severe congestion, while emergency workers across the country responded to fallen trees, signs, and other safety risks. 

Residents in Seoul were urged to "refrain from operating vehicles and engaging in outdoor activities" and to "beware of falling trees."

Power was cut to thousands of households in several parts of the capital.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, meanwhile, asked the safety and transport ministries to mobilize all available relevant personnel and equipment to "minimize potential damage and public inconvenience caused by the snow."

Snow blanketed Seoul causing power outages and transportation disruptionsImage: Yonhap/picture alliance

jcg/nm (AFP, AP)