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Summer-like heat gives way to cold wave, yellow dust influx

Published: 20 Apr. 2026, 18:03 Updated: 20 Apr. 2026, 19:13

Yongsan District, central Seoul, is shrouded in fine dust on March 13. [NEWS1]

After a weekend of unseasonable heat topping 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), temperatures dropped sharply within a day, bringing rare cold wave advisories to parts of the country and high concentrations of yellow dust from China.

“Starting this afternoon, cold air will flow in from the northwest, and morning temperatures on Tuesday are expected to be about five to 10 degrees lower than Monday in most parts of the country,” the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) said Monday.

The KMA issued cold wave advisories at 10 a.m. Monday for the southern mountainous areas of Gangwon, parts of South Chungcheong, including Gongju and Geumsan, and Muju in North Jeolla. The advisories will take effect at 9 p.m. the same day.

This marks the latest such advisory on record since authorities began systematically compiling cold wave data in July 2005, the agency said. The previous record was April 13, 2021.

A cold wave advisory is issued when the morning low temperature is expected to drop by more than 10 degrees from the previous day to 3 degrees or lower and remain at least 3 degrees below the seasonal average.

The rare April advisory comes as cold northwesterly winds replace the warm southeasterly winds that had driven the recent heat, causing temperatures to fall rapidly. As a result, Seoul’s daytime high, which reached 29.4 degrees Celsius the previous day, remained around 19 degrees Celsius on Monday.

People picnic at Yeouido Hangang Park in Yeongdeungpo District, western Seoul, on April 19. [NEWS1]

A person dressed in thick clothing rides a bike in central Seoul on April 7. [KIM SEONG-RYONG]

Overnight, temperatures will drop further, with Seoul forecast to see a morning low of 6 degrees Celsius on Tuesday. Northern Gyeonggi is expected to fall to 2 degrees Celsius, while northern Gangwon could drop to 1 degree Celsius. Strong winds will make it feel even colder, with some parts of Gangwon expected to see the perceived temperature fall to minus 1 degree Celsius.

“Today, most regions will see strong winds with gusts of around 15 meters per second [33.6 miles per hour], and around 20 meters per second in mountainous areas,” the agency said. “From tonight, very strong winds are expected in the mountainous regions of Gangwon, the northern east coast and the northeastern mountainous areas of North Gyeongsang, and a strong wind advisory may be issued.”

The agency warned people to take precautions against the sudden cold.

“Morning temperatures tomorrow will be about five to 10 degrees lower than today in most parts of the country, and the temperature difference between day and night will be around 15 degrees, so please take precautions to manage your health amid the rapid temperature changes,” an agency official said Monday.

A commuter wearing gloves rides a bicycle at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul on April 7. [NEWS1]

Along with the cold weather, high concentrations of yellow dust are expected to blanket the country from Monday afternoon through Tuesday.

High concentrations of yellow dust began flowing into the country from the west after noon on Monday, the National Institute of Environmental Research said. Images from the Cheollian 2B satellite showed dense yellow dust covering southern Mongolia and northern China as of 7:45 a.m. and moving southeast toward the Korean Peninsula via northwesterly winds across the Yellow Sea.

As a result, fine dust levels are expected to reach “bad” levels starting in western regions, including the Seoul metropolitan area, Daejeon, Sejong, Chungcheong, Gwangju and North Jeolla on Monday afternoon. On the following day, concentrations are forecast to worsen nationwide to “very bad” levels.

A haze blankets Jongno District in central Seoul on March 10 as fine dust levels worsen air quality. [YONHAP]

The “very bad” level is the highest category in the four-tier fine dust forecast system, at which vulnerable groups — such as those with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions, children, infants and older adults — are advised to remain indoors and consult a doctor before going outside. The general public is also advised to limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activities, while those experiencing coughing or throat pain should avoid outdoor exposure.

The influx of yellow dust is attributed to northwesterly winds. A low-pressure system over the northern part of the Korean Peninsula is rotating counterclockwise, creating conditions for the dust to move southeast, weather charts showed Monday.

Meanwhile, a high-pressure system to the southwest rotated clockwise, forming a corridor between the two systems that allowed winds to carry the dust toward the peninsula.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHON KWON-PIL, HEO JEONG-WON [[email protected]]