A thick layer of fine dust blanketed most parts of the nation for the second straight day on Monday, leading authorities to issue advisories and take emergency fine dust reductions measures.

The Environment Ministry and Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi Province in the capital region have enforced reduction measures for the second consecutive day on Monday from 6 a.m. The emergency measure will last will 9 p.m. 

Other city governments of Busan, Daejeon, Sejong, Gwangju and provincial governments of South and North Chungcheong and the Jeolla Provinces also launched similar measures on Monday as fine dust levels are forecast to be high nationwide.

The National Institute of Environmental Research under the Ministry of Environment forecast the capital region, western parts of Gangwon, Chungcheong and North Jeolla Provinces to record “very bad levels” of fine dust on Monday.

In the capital region, public officials are subject to the alternate day driving system, in which cars with license plates ending with odd numbers should stay off the roads on Monday. 

In Seoul, drivers are also banned from using old diesel vehicles weighing over two-point-five tons. The city will close over 430 parking lots of public organizations and ban operations of some 33-thousand official vehicles on Monday.

The government also ordered thermal power plants nationwide, except South Gyeongsang and South Jeolla Provinces, to operate within 80 percent of their capacity.