Fine dust reached record levels for the year as yellow dust blew into the country on northwesterly winds.

According to the National Institute of Environmental Research, an arm of the environment ministry, fine dust concentration recorded a daily average of 277 micrograms per cubic meter nationwide as of 1 p.m. Wednesday.

The reading was the first of the year to come in at more than two-point-five times over the standard level of 100 micrograms for a 24-hour average, beating the previous record this year of 125 micrograms on January 7.

By 1 p.m., dust levels were the highest on Jeju Island at 346 micrograms and lowest in port city Busan at 224, while Seoul reported 255.

The figures are unlikely to decline substantially within the day as yellow dust particles are forecast to remain in the country, with the institute predicting fine dust levels to be "very bad" across the country on Thursday as well.