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Dust particles are affecting the quality of the air from South Korea to Japan due to severe sandstorms that have been ravaging China for more than a month.
According to AirKorea, which is managed by the nation's environment ministry, fine dust particles from the Gobi Desert have been increasing in South Korea and may reach "very unhealthy" levels in Seoul as soon as Tuesday afternoon. According to a forecast from the Japan Meteorological Agency, the sandstorms are expected to reach Japan on Wednesday and reduce visibility in the central region, which includes Tokyo.
After sandstorms struck 18 cities and provinces in China on Monday night, the effects are spreading. People biking home from work in Beijing's capital were caught off guard by sudden bursts of dusty wind. They had to squint to avoid getting grit that would sting their eyes and had to wipe thin layers of yellow dirt off their faces when they got home. On Weibo, China's Twitter, the storms became the most frequently searched topic.
Since the beginning of March, the nation's capital has experienced a string of severe dust storms. Dry weather conditions has enhanced the effect, causing boundless flames burning prairies in Mongolia and backwoods in China's Sichuan territory. As they move south, the sandstorms are expected to leave Beijing by Tuesday night.