Seoul, Jan 23 (IANS): Cold wave alerts will be issued for most parts of South Korea on Monday as the capital and central parts of the nation came under the grip of the season's coldest weather.

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said the cold wave warning will take effect for all of Seoul at 9 p.m., reports Yonhap News Agency.

The cold wave warning is issued when the morning low is below minus 15 degrees Celsius for more than two consecutive days, or when the temperature drops sharply and major damage is expected.

The warning will be also issued for many areas in Incheon, 27 km west of Seoul, and the provinces of Gyeonggi, Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Jeolla at the same time.

Many southern cities, including Ulsan, Daegu, Busan and Gwangju, and the southwestern provinces of Jeolla are to come under a cold wave advisory, which is issued when the morning low is below minus 12 degrees Celsius for more than two days in a row, the KMA said.

Morning lows in central regions are expected to fall below minus 15 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, while the low for Seoul is predicted to hit minus 17 degrees Celsius, according to the weather agency.