Icy Winds Blow Away Toxic Haze

A fine-dust warning was issued in Korea on Tuesday as sandstorms from China blanketed the country. But the haze will die down on Wednesday because a cold air mass coming from the north is bringing freezing temperatures instead.

The warning is issued when the average PM10 fine particle concentration exceeds 150 ㎍/㎥ per day, and the last time was in May last year.

The sandstorms originated in the Gobi Desert and Inner Mongolia on Sunday and blew southeastward to reach Korea on Monday evening. They are now being blown away as cold air rushes in from the north.

The mercury dropped to -10 degrees Celsius in Seoul on Wednesday morning, the coldest morning this winter. 

A cold weather advisory was issued for central parts as temperatures dropped by about 10 degrees overnight and daytime highs are not expected to rise above 4 degrees. 

Snow fell in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and many other parts of the country on Tuesday and is expected to continue, accumulating 2 to 8 cm in Chungcheong, Gangwon and Jeolla provinces and on Jeju Island.