Saturday Also Has Dense Fine Dust... "Yellow Dust Appears in Most Areas"

On Saturday the 30th, yellow dust will appear in most parts of the country, causing high concentrations of fine dust.

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, as of 4 p.m. on the 29th, yellow dust is being observed mainly in the eastern regions of South Korea. The KMA stated, "Yellow dust will appear in most areas until the 30th," adding, "Even in areas where yellow dust is not currently observed, fine dust (PM10) concentrations will rise again."

The National Institute of Environmental Research also expects fine dust levels nationwide to be poor on the 30th, forecasting that fine dust in northern Gyeonggi and Gangwon in the morning and in North Gyeongsang in the afternoon will reach a 'very poor' level. The institute projected that the influence of yellow dust will remain on Sunday the 31st, leading to high fine dust concentrations in the central inland areas.

On the 29th, yellow dust originating from Inner Mongolia, China, carried by the northwest wind, flew into South Korea, leading to fine dust warnings being issued for most areas in the central region. The electronic display board installed on Sejong-daero in Jung-gu, Seoul, shows the concentration of fine dust. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Weekend temperatures will be similar to or slightly higher than the average for this time of year. Daytime temperatures will rise to between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius in most regions. However, morning temperatures will drop to around 0 degrees Celsius, especially in the central inland areas, causing a temperature difference of more than 15 degrees between day and night. Frost may form in the morning, potentially causing cold damage, so precautions should be taken.

Nationwide, the lowest morning temperatures on the 30th are expected to range from -1 to 9 degrees Celsius, while the highest daytime temperatures will be between 12 and 20 degrees Celsius. The expected minimum and maximum temperatures for major cities are: Seoul 4°C and 14°C, Incheon 5°C and 13°C, Daejeon 2°C and 18°C, Gwangju and Ulsan 5°C and 18°C, Daegu 5°C and 20°C, and Busan 9°C and 17°C. On the 31st, morning lows will range from -2 to 10 degrees Celsius, with daytime highs between 14 and 21 degrees Celsius.

As temperatures drop overnight, fog will form in the inland areas of Chungcheong and Jeolla provinces. The west coast will be covered by sea fog moving inland. The fog will be dense enough to reduce visibility to less than 200 meters, potentially causing disruptions to ship and aircraft operations.