"A World Entirely Red... Situation at the Source of China's Yellow Dust"

As the yellow dust originating from China swept across the country, the hazy sky persisted throughout the morning of the 12th. Photos of China's atmosphere, already overtaken by dust, were shared on social networking services (SNS). [Photo by Weibo]

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As yellow dust from China blankets South Korea, a hazy sky persisted throughout the morning of the 12th, drawing attention as photos of China's atmosphere already overtaken by dust were shared on social media platforms (SNS).

According to the Korea Meteorological Administration and Air Korea, the fine dust (PM10) levels across 17 cities and provinces nationwide recorded a 'very bad' level (151㎍/㎥ or higher) that morning. The Ministry of Environment raised the nationwide yellow dust crisis alert from 'interest' to 'caution' as of 7 a.m. The caution level is issued when a fine dust warning is declared due to yellow dust and there is a possibility of a large-scale disaster.

Meanwhile, China has already issued 'yellow dust warnings' for most major regions including Beijing, Shanghai, and Xinjiang. On the same morning, Beijing's fine dust concentration reached 1450㎍ per cubic meter, about ten times higher than South Korea's level. Even wearing masks, people could feel sand particles in their mouths.

Yellow Dust [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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On Chinese social media platforms like Weibo, photos and videos showing city centers trapped in sandstorms are being posted. Particularly eye-catching are videos filmed in Ulanqab City, Inner Mongolia, near the yellow dust source. The streets appear entirely red, with buildings and cars barely visible.

The footage is estimated to be from the 10th. That afternoon, Ulanqab's fine dust concentration reportedly exceeded 7000㎍/㎥, about 46 times higher than South Korea's level.

Yellow dust originating from the Gobi Desert and the Inner Mongolian Plateau usually travels eastward with westerly winds and affects South Korea after 2 to 3 days. The dust in the videos likely rode the cold, dry winds to cover the Korean Peninsula on the 12th.

The impact of the yellow dust is expected to continue throughout this week. According to China's state-run Xinhua News Agency, the current yellow dust event that began on the 9th gradually spread on the 10th and 11th to North China regions including Hebei, Shanxi, Beijing, Tianjin, Northeast China areas such as Liaoning, Jilin, Heilongjiang, and Inner Mongolia, as well as central Henan Province and north-central Anhui Province. The China Central Meteorological Observatory forecasted that cold winds on the 13th and 14th would sustain yellow dust in these areas.

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