PROBLEMS WITH CHANGE IN WEATHER

[Anchor Lead]

Warm temperatures had prevailed for several days but the mercury plunged over night bringing a cold snap Wednesday morning. Spring flowers bloomed early this year due to the warm weather but farmers are now worried the temperature plunge will ruin the crops.

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A pear farm in Naju. Leaves that have turned black can be spotted among pear blossoms. This was the situation last year as early blossoms froze in abrupt cold weather in the spring. The same situation could happen this year as well. An apple farm in Yesan, Chungcheongnamdo Province. Artificial pollination is underway. This is thanks to blooms that came 10 days faster than usual thanks to record high temperatures in March. But farmers are not all smiles.

[Soundbite] Im Chun-geun(Yesan) : "If the pistil inside dies from the cold, there will be no flower and no apple."

The mercury has plunged about ten degrees Celsius overnight. Cold wave advisories have been issued in central inland areas and some parts of Jeollabukdo and Gyeongsangbukdo Provinces. The advisories in mid-April are the latest on record, following unprecedented high temperatures the previous month. The brief cold snap is expected to continue on Thursday morning. Pear flowers will suffer cold-weather damage when exposed to temperatures of below minus 1.7 degrees for 30 minutes. Farms are advised to mobilize ventilators and water sprinklers in advance to prevent damage. Those without such devices can burn kerosene placed inside a metal container to raise the temperature.

[Soundbite] Song Jang-hun(Rural Development Administration) : "Burning 3 liters of kerosene for 80 minutes can raise the temperature by 2 degrees."

However such methods carry the risk of fire and it’s important to remove flammable materials such as leaves from the area.