Yellow dust covers the peninsula

An unclear sky was seen throughout the nation yesterday as yellow sand blanketed the peninsula.

The Korea Meteorological Administration said yellow dust was discovered in all regions nationwide, with Gangwon Province most severely affected by the storm that originated from the Gobi desert in Mongolia.

This was the third yellow dust storm to hit the nation this year and is expected to continue through this morning, according to KMA officials.

"This yellow dust storm is exceptional because of the region it originated from. Our country was impacted mostly by yellow sand coming from this area (the Gobi desert) prior to 2002," a KMA forecaster said.

As of yesterday afternoon, Sokcho in Gangwon Province recorded the highest minute dust particle level of 539 micrograms per cubic meter, whereas Cheonan in South Chungcheong Province and Seoul had 298 and 150 micrograms per cubic meter, respectively.

Yellow sand warnings were issued in all areas of Gangwon Province yesterday afternoon.

A warning is issued when state weather authorities projected the hourly average level of minute dust particles to exceed 400 micrograms per cubic meter for more than two hours.

The year-on-year average of yellow dust days has seen a sharply increased over the past few years, from three days in 2003 to 11 in 2005 and 13 in 2007, state weather authorities said.

To minimize the negative effect of yellow sand, weather authorities advised citizens to avoid any outdoor activities, to wash their hands frequently, drink more water, and wear glasses instead of contact lenses.

By Cho Ji-hyun



(sharon@heraldm.com)