Spring flowers are in bloom earlier than usual this year as early summer-like weather continues over recent weeks.

The cherry blossoms bloomed on March 28 this year, 18 days earlier than they did last year, and the forsythia, azalea, magnolia and peach flowers are also now coloring the streets of Seoul with their spring shade. This is the first time since the Korea Metrological Administration (KMA) started predicting cherry blossoms dates in 1992 that the cherry blossoms and other flowers have bloomed as early as March.

Thanks to the earlier-than-expected cherry blossoms, spring flower festivals, including many cherry blossom festivals across the county, have moved up their starting dates. The annual Yeouido Spring Flower Festival along Yungjung-ro parkway in western Seoul now begins on April 3, ten days ahead of schedule. The Seokchon Lake Cherry Blossom Festival in southeastern Seoul will now start on April 4, seven days earlier than expected. The Gyeongpodae Beach Cherry Blossom Festival in Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province) and the Boryeong Jusan Cherry Blossom Festival in Chungcheongnam-do (South Chungcheong Province) will both also begin earlier than last year.




Spring festivals in some Seoul districts are also suddenly in a hurry to get started. The Eungbongsan Mountain Forsythia Festival in Seongdong District will now start on April 4, eight days earlier than last year, and the Ansan Cherry Blossom Concert in Seodaemun District will also begin on April 4, 12 days earlier than last year. The Geumcheon Harmony Cherry Blossom Festival in Geumcheon District starts on April 5, one full week ahead of its original start date.

"The unusually high temperatures are attributed to a continuous inflow of warm air from the southwest, along the edge of a high atmospheric pressure area in the waters off southern Japan, coupled with strong sunshine during the day time," said a KMA official.

However, the spokesman continued to explain that cold air will blow in from the north and start moving southward on April 3 and that the temperature is expected to go down to the more-normal average of 15 to 17 degrees Celsius.

By Jeon Han, Limb Jae-un
Korea.net staff writers
hanjeon@korea.kr