Sand and dust blanket Osaka, Japan on Thursday. Floating sand and dust began to affect northern and western Japan the previous day, reducing visibility to under 10 kilometers in some areas. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun/VCG

Sand and dust loom over Tokyo. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun/VCG

A thick haze shrouds the skyline of Fukuoka in western Japan on Wednesday. Photo: Yomiuri Shimbun/VCG

The sandstorm spread throughout almost all of South Korea on Wednesday. Photo: IC Photo

A digital sign in Seoul indicates that levels of air pollution remain “very bad” in the downtown area. Photo: VCG

The sky darkens around 9 a.m. on Wednesday in Shanghai as strong winds blew sand and dust from North China into the city. Photo: The Paper

Sand and dust shroud West Lake in Hangzhou, East China’s Zhejiang province. Photo: VCG

A road in Yuncheng, North China’s Shanxi province, disappears into the horizon on Wednesday due to sand and dust in the air. Photo: VCG

Sand and dust envelop fields in Baoding, North China’s Hebei province. Photo: VCG