Yellow dust to linger today

Thick layers of yellow dust swirled across the nation yesterday and officials warned more is expected to blow in today with winds 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.

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. It was the worst yellow dust storms of the year so far.

"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.

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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.

The weather agency warned that the highest level of warnings may be posted - for the first time since 2002 - for some areas, depending on the density of dust in the air.

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 anyone with respiratory diseases are urged to stay indoors.

Livestock farmers should also take precautions against the dust, the KMA said.

(milaya@heraldm.com)



By Lee Sun-young