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Schools closed as yellow dust coats S. Korea
SEOUL, March 3 (Yonhap) -- Schools were closed and entrance ceremonies cancelled Monday as clouds of hazardous yellow dust blanketed most parts of South Korea below the upper region.
The National Meteorological Administration issued yellow dust warnings and alarms to most provinces, except the two upper provinces of Gyeonggi that surrounds Seoul, and Gangwon. Even the southern resort island of Jeju received a warning, the weather watchdog said.
The annual spring winds carry heavy doses of hazardous heavy metals such as silicon, iron, aluminum, lead, cadmium and cooper from the Gobi Desert in northern China and southern Mongolia. As China industrialized and deforestation took place over the past decade, the density of the Chinese yellow storms has become worse.
In the southeastern port city of Busan, it was difficult to see or breathe and the Busan Metropolitan City Office of Education issued directives to close all kindergartens, elementary schools and special schools for disabled children. The city office also had 373 kindergartens, 293 elementary schools and 12 special schools cancel entrance ceremonies.
The nearby city of Ulsan issued the same directives. Yellow dust storms can cause eye, skin and respiratory problems and are particularly dangerous to children and the elderly.
The yellow storm blanket will sweep the country more often this spring than in past years as the temperature of northern inland China is tending to surpass the normal and a low atmospheric pressure trough is more likely to occur, the weather watchdog explained.
"The atmospheric pressure trough will pass the upper part of the country, causing the wind from the northeast. The yellow dust storm will take place for 5.1 days more than in the past," it said in a statement.
The southeastern city of Daegu had one of the most dangerous levels of heavy metal with 1,428 micrograms per cubic meter, followed by the southwestern city of Gwangju with 948 micrograms.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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