Cities throughout Japan continued to see yellow sand in the air on Wednesday, with the weather agency predicting the phenomenon to last through Thursday morning, having started on Tuesday.
Visibility in Tokyo and Osaka was below 10 kilometers as of 1:10 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the Meteorological Agency.
Visibility might drop below 5 km in certain regions, the agency said. In such cases, sand might be noticeable on the surfaces of clothes and cars.
The agency also warned about potential traffic disruptions if visibility drops below 5 km.
In Nagoya, visibility was down to 4 km as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Meteorological Agency forecast the yellow sand to move away from eastern Honshu by 6 p.m. on Wednesday. But it will continue to cover parts of western Honshu and Shikoku until Thursday morning, it said.
The phenomenon occurs when strong winds lift up large amounts of sand and dust from deserts and transport them to other regions in East Asia. It most commonly occurs during the spring.
Allergy-like symptoms such as itchy eyes and runny noses could occur due to yellow sand, according to the Environment Ministry. Those who are likely to experience symptoms are advised to wear masks, avoid opening windows or going outside unnecessarily.
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