Yellow dust to linger today

The whole nation is expected to be plagued by the worst yellow dust phenomenon of this year, as winds continue to bring a thick layer of dust from the desert areas in Northeastern China.

"The strong yellow dust clouds will continue to affect the nation on Thursday. There is also a possibility that it will exert even more negative effects (tomorrow) than Wednesday," Kim Seung-bae, an official at the Korea Meteorological Administration said yesterday.

The weather agency posted yellow dust precautions at 9 a.m. for western provinces and issued another warning for central and southern provinces around noon.

"The level of dust in the air is expected to soar over 600 or 700 micrograms per cubic meter in the central and southern regions. The yellow dust warnings are likely to be expanded nationwide later in the afternoon as winds will bring more dust clouds to the peninsula," the KMA official said.

<**1>The weather agency warned that the highest level of warnings can be posted for some areas depending on the density of dust in the air. It has not been posted since 2002 in Korea.

The KMA issues the highest warning when the dust level in the air reaches and remains over 1,000 micrograms for an hour. When the warning is issued, schools should consider suspending classes and even closing for the day, and children, senior citizens and those with respiratory diseases are urged to stay indoors.

Livestock raisers should also prepare against the dust pollutants in the air, KMA advised.

(milaya@heraldm.com)



By Lee Sun-young