In this regard, KCNA met Ri Chol Su, vice-director of the Central Meteorological Institute.

Ri said:

The cold weather in Korea is generally triggered by the continental anticyclone at middle latitude. But, this winter the continental anticyclone joined the Siberian anticyclone at 60 to 80 degrees north latitude, causing current biting coldness.

On Dec. 5, 20 to 38 cm snowfall hit most areas of the DPRK, including Pyongyang City and South Phyongan, North Hamgyong and Kangwon provinces, affected by the low pressure passing through the central area.

The severe coldness was witnessed on December 8-10. The temperature dropped to minus 17 degrees Celsius in the western coastal area, minus 15 degrees Celsius in the eastern coastal area and minus 27 degrees Celsius in the northern inland area, down 8 to 13 degrees Celsius from previous years.

Such cold weather that can be seen usually between late December and January came some 20 days earlier in the country this year.

From the midday of Dec. 11, the anticyclone staying above Huabei area of China is forecast to be separated from eastern Siberian anticyclone, affecting the country's weather. So, the temperature is expected to go up from Dec. 13.