On the 12th, when a fine dust warning was issued across Seoul, the city center viewed from Namsan in Seoul was shrouded in fine dust accompanied by yellow dust. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@
Due to the yellow dust invasion, the air quality nationwide is forecasted to be poor throughout the day on the 12th.
Yellow dust originating from the Inner Mongolian Plateau and the Gobi Desert is being carried into the country by northwesterly winds and is being observed nationwide.
The concentration of fine dust (PM10) by city and province (1-hour average) as of 7 a.m. is 494㎍/㎥ in Ulsan, 459㎍/㎥ in Gwangju, 438㎍/㎥ in Jeju, 408㎍/㎥ in Jeonnam, and all cities and provinces far exceed the 'Very Bad' level (151㎍/㎥ or higher). The fine dust concentration in Seoul is 192㎍/㎥.
Accordingly, fine dust advisories and warnings have been issued for almost all areas.
A fine dust advisory (warning) is issued when the PM10 1-hour average concentration is expected to persist at or above 150㎍/㎥ (300㎍/㎥) for 2 hours.
The nationwide yellow dust crisis alert level was also raised to 'Caution' as of 7 a.m.
The caution level is issued 'when a fine dust warning is issued due to yellow dust and there is a possibility of a large-scale disaster occurring.'
The yellow dust crisis alert has four levels: Interest, Caution, Alert, and Serious. The interest level alert was issued nationwide at 5 p.m. the previous day.
Ultrafine dust (PM2.5) is also high; as of 7 a.m., the metropolitan area and Gangwon East Coast are at 'Moderate' levels, while the rest are at 'Bad' or 'Very Bad' (Busan) levels. An ultrafine dust advisory has even been issued in Ulsan.
The yellow dust is expected to cover the entire country until the 13th. Since the worst yellow dust has arrived, it is advised to refrain from going outside, wear a mask when going out, and wash hands and feet thoroughly after returning.
The northwesterly wind that brought the yellow dust also brought a brief cold snap.
Morning temperatures on this day ranged from minus 1 degree to 9 degrees Celsius, dropping 5 to 12 degrees compared to the 11th.
At 8 a.m., temperatures in major cities were Seoul 5°C, Incheon 6.4°C, Daejeon 4.8°C, Gwangju 8.3°C, Daegu 10.9°C, Ulsan 11.3°C, and Busan 11.9°C.
The daytime high temperatures will also be lower than the previous day (15?25°C), ranging from 13 to 21°C.
Currently, a dry warning is in effect for the East Coast of Gangwon, and dry special warnings are issued for Gangwon Yeongdong, the Gyeongsang coastal area, and parts of inland Gyeongsang. Not only these areas but the entire country will be dry, and especially around Gangwon Yeongdong, strong winds will increase the risk of large fires, so caution is necessary.
On Friday the 14th, rain is expected to wash away the yellow dust and relieve the dryness.
As a pressure trough approaches from the west, rain will begin on the morning of the 14th from Jeju and the southern Jeonnam west coast, spreading to the entire southern region in the afternoon and expanding to the Chungcheong region by night.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
