Ultrafine dust advisory: Third day

[Anchor]

For the third consecutive day, dense fine dust continues to persist.

Emergency reduction measures have been implemented today (1.22) in nine cities and provinces across the country, including the metropolitan area.

It has been analyzed that dust from China and domestic sources have mixed, and it is expected that the air will clear up by Saturday, three days from now.

Shin Bang-sil, our meteorology specialist, reports.

[Report]

Hazy dust is enveloping downtown Seoul.

With fog mixed in, visibility has dropped to below 3km, and even tall buildings appear faintly.

For the third day of high concentrations of fine dust, most citizens on the streets are wearing masks.

In the central region, including Seoul, the concentration of ultra-fine dust has exceeded 100 micrograms per cubic meter, more than five times the usual levels.

Following the metropolitan area and Chungnam Province, today, emergency fine dust reduction measures have been expanded to nine cities and provinces nationwide.

This high concentration of fine dust has been analyzed as a combination of domestic emissions and pollutants from abroad.

Yesterday (1.21), fine dust from China was carried in by westerly winds between a low-pressure system in the north of the Korean Peninsula and a high-pressure system in the south.

Today, due to the influence of the high pressure, the atmosphere has stagnated, trapping domestic pollutants.

[Kim Jun/Professor of Atmospheric Science at Yonsei University: "As fine dust accumulates in the metropolitan and Chungcheong areas, the concentration increases, and from the west, about 100 tons of fine dust per hour is being brought in from Shandong Province in China, resulting in such high concentrations."]

Tomorrow (1.23), the 'bad' level of fine dust will continue in most regions nationwide, but from the afternoon, northerly winds will blow, gradually dispersing the fine dust.

The air quality in southern Gyeonggi and Chungcheong regions will not be good even the day after tomorrow (1.24), but on Saturday, strong easterly winds are expected to completely push away the fine dust that has been lingering in our country.

This is KBS News Shin Bang-sil.