Seoul, Jan 26 (IANS): A heavy snow advisory was issued on Thursday in the greater Seoul area and some central parts of South Korean, the state weather agency said.

The advisory went into effect in Seoul, Incheon, parts of Gyeonggi province surrounding the capital and the coastal region of South Chungcheong, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA).

The advisory is given when the snowfall is expected to reach 5 cm or more within 24 hours,reports Yonhap News Agency.

The snowfall was heaviest overnight and into early Thursday, impacting the morning commute, the KMA said.

The KMA advised citizens to use public transportation and leave for work earlier than usual to avoid heavy traffic congestion.

The snowfall was forecast to stop on Thursday afternoon starting with the wider Seoul area but will continue into early Friday in central parts of the country.

Between 2 and 7 cm of snow is expected until Friday and more than 10 cm in mountainous regions on the southern island of Jeju, the KMA said.

Eastern parts of Gyeonggi and inland areas of Gangwon are forecast to receive 1 to 5 cm of snowfall, the agency said.

Temperatures in most parts of the country were expected to rise to between minus 2 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees, the KMA said.