As the weather becomes milder, with the unwelcome guest fine dust persisting for days, it is forecasted that yellow dust originating from China will be entering Korea starting this afternoon (12th).
On the 11th, several videos were uploaded on Chinese social media showing strong sandstorms near desert areas such as Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang.
In one video, a strong wind created a towering wall of sand that blocked the sky in an instant as cars drove along the road.
Another video depicted a massive sandstorm, reminiscent of a scene from a disaster movie, approaching as people observed from their vehicles, and soon afterward, cars were seen emerging from the sandstorm.
According to the video, the sandstorm occurred in some areas of Inner Mongolia on the 11th, and unlike the usual ones that dissipate within about 10 minutes, this sandstorm did not disappear for a while.
The China Central Meteorological Center, as reported by Sina.com, issued a yellow dust storm warning from 8 PM on the 11th to 8 PM on the 12th in some areas of Inner Mongolia due to the sandstorm.
Visibility dropped to below 50 meters, which led to temporary traffic restrictions in various places, and consequently, a level 1 yellow dust warning was also issued in the nearby capital, Beijing.
The yellow dust from the massive sandstorm is expected to impact Korea as well.
On the 12th, the Meteorological Agency forecasted that this yellow dust, carried by northwesterly winds, is approaching Korea and will start entering from the western coast of Gyeonggi Province late in the afternoon or evening, along with smog from China.
The yellow dust is expected to spread nationwide from tonight, and in metropolitan areas, the concentration of larger particulate matter is likely to increase.
The Chinese Meteorological Center predicted that the yellow dust will persist for 2-3 days.
Any additional yellow dust is expected to enter Korea on the 13th.
For now, as both smog and yellow dust intensify the fine dust onslaught, health experts recommend wearing health masks rated KF80 or higher when going out, especially for the elderly and vulnerable individuals.
Digital News Team Reporter | Ryu Chung-hee
Produced by | Lee Sun
Footage Source | Weibo
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