Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – International Relations; Health & GS-III – Environment
In news
North Korea has urged its citizens to remain indoors to avoid contact with a mysterious cloud of ‘yellow dust’ which is blowing in from China.
This cloud could bring Covid-19 with it.
Important value additions
Asian Dust
It is also known as yellow dust, yellow sand, yellow wind or China dust storms.
It is actually sand from deserts in China and Mongolia that high speed surface winds carry into both North and South Korea during specific periods every year.
The sand particles tend to mix with other toxic substances such as industrial pollutants.
Thus, it is known to cause a number of respiratory ailments.
