Clouds of Dust Engulf Korea

Last Saturday was a rainy day in Korea...  It was a good day for staying inside and reading.  But when the clouds disappeared on Sunday morning, a dust storm engulfed Busan, along with the rest of Korea.

Such dust storms occur a few times per year in Korea, and so the Korea Meteorological Administration maintains a web-page providing information about the health effects of airborne dust, as well as real-time measurements of dust particle concentrations in the atmosphere throughout Korea.  The dust in these storms originates from deserts in China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan.  Wind storms in these areas lift a lot of dust into the air, and this dust can travel for many miles, all the way across China to Korea.  This phenomenon also occurs in other regions of the world, like the Sahara desert.

Such a storm was forecast to occur in Korea a few weeks before.  When it finally did reach Korea, dust concentrations were severely high.  When walking outside, the dust could be tasted.  And it made the city look like this:

The tall buildings of Seomyeon enveloped by a dust cloud.

Thick dust enveloping Busan.