On Tuesday, the 21st, fine dust levels across the country are expected to reach 'bad' levels. This is due to fine dust carried in by westerly winds that cannot escape the domestic area.

On the afternoon of Oct. 20, the area around POSCO's Pohang Steelworks is covered in hazy fine dust. /Courtesy of News1

Emergency reduction measures will be implemented in the metropolitan area and Chungcheongnam-do this winter. On this day, the fine dust levels in the metropolitan area, Gangwon Yeongseo, Chungcheong area, Daegu, and Gyeongsangbuk-do are expected to show 'very bad' levels. In these regions, the average daily concentration of fine dust on the 21st is expected to exceed the emergency reduction measures threshold of 50㎍/㎥.

Preliminary reduction measures are expected to be implemented in Chungcheongbuk-do and Sejong. Other regions are anticipated to be at a 'normal' level.

The Korea Meteorological Administration explained that due to atmospheric stagnation, the residual fine dust from the previous day and the fine dust generated domestically are expected to accumulate, leading to high levels in most areas across the country. Dust will be floating, causing visibility to be hazy like fog.

The morning's lowest temperatures are forecasted to range from -6 to 2 degrees, while the highest daytime temperatures will range from 6 to 12 degrees. The central region may experience occasional cloud cover, while the southern region and Jeju Island are expected to be generally clear. Rain that began the previous day will continue on Ulleungdo and Dokdo. The expected precipitation over two days is about 5㎜.

Dense fog is expected in some areas in the morning, so caution should be exercised for traffic safety. The Korea Meteorological Administration noted that from late night on the 20th to the morning of the 21st, fog with visibility below 200 meters is expected in Incheon, Gyeonggi, Gangwon inland, Chungcheongbuk-do, Jeollabuk-do, and Gyeongsangbuk-do, while other areas may experience fog with visibility below 1 kilometer, stating, "Some areas may still have mist or haze during the day."

Waves in the sea are expected to reach 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the eastern, western, and southern coastal waters. In the inner waters (about 200 km from the coast), wave heights are expected to be 0.5 to 1.5 meters in the eastern and southern seas, and 0.5 to 1.0 meters in the western sea.