[Weather] Fine Dust 'Very Bad' Due to Yellow Dust Tomorrow... Showers and Hail in Some Areas

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] On Saturday the 17th, yellow dust originating from China and Mongolia is expected to flow in, causing very high fine dust concentrations across all regions.

The National Institute of Environmental Research's Air Quality Integrated Forecast Center forecasted on the 16th that fine dust concentrations will be "very bad" across all regions on the 17th. Ultrafine dust concentrations are also predicted to be "bad" in all regions, and on the 18th, due to smooth atmospheric dispersion, air quality is expected to be at a "normal" level nationwide.

On the 17th, some areas may experience showers accompanied by thunder and lightning, or small hail.

Between 6 a.m. and 12 p.m., light raindrops may fall in the metropolitan area, northern Gangwon Yeongseo, Jeolla region, and some inland areas of Gyeongnam.

In the metropolitan area, Gangwon Province (excluding central and southern Gangwon Yeongdong), northern Chungcheong, and northern inland Gyeongbuk, there may be showers accompanied by gusty winds, thunder, and lightning.

Expected precipitation on the afternoon of the 17th is 5 to 10 mm in the metropolitan area, Gangwon Yeongseo, northern Chungcheong, northern inland Gyeongbuk, and Ulleungdo and Dokdo, while northern Gangwon Yeongdong is expected to receive less than 5 mm.

Morning temperatures on the 17th will be 1 to 4 degrees Celsius lower than on the 16th in central regions (excluding Gangwon East Coast), Jeolla region, and northeastern mountainous areas of Gyeongbuk. Temperatures around 0 degrees Celsius are expected in northern and eastern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, inland Chungcheong, eastern Jeonbuk, and northeastern mountainous Gyeongbuk. Other central regions and Jeolla will be around 5 degrees Celsius, while southern Gyeongbuk, eastern Gyeongnam, and Jeju Island, less affected by cold air, will be around 10 degrees Celsius.

On the 18th, the entire country will be mostly cloudy but will gradually clear from the morning. Morning temperatures will be around 5 degrees Celsius in most areas nationwide, with inland and mountainous Gangwon around 0 degrees Celsius.

Daytime temperatures until the 18th will be around 15 degrees Celsius in most regions nationwide, but around 20 degrees Celsius mainly in the Gyeongsang area.

The lowest morning temperatures on the 17th will range from 1 to 13 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs between 13 and 20 degrees Celsius. On the 18th, morning lows will be 3 to 9 degrees Celsius, and daytime highs 14 to 19 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, on the 17th, frost and ice formation are expected near the ground in eastern Gyeonggi, inland and mountainous Gangwon, inland Chungcheong, inland Gyeongbuk, and eastern Jeonbuk, and on the 18th, in inland and mountainous Gangwon, northeastern mountainous Gyeongbuk, and eastern Jeonbuk, as temperatures drop below freezing.

The central East Sea offshore will experience very strong winds of 35 to 65 km/h (10 to 18 m/s) until the night of the 16th and again on the 18th, with very high waves of 1.5 to 4.0 meters. From the night of the 17th to the 18th, strong winds of 30 to 50 km/h (9 to 14 m/s) and high waves of 1.0 to 3.0 meters are expected in the southern East Sea, the South Sea, and around Jeju Island.