Yellow sky in Beijing as sandstorm from Mongolia hits China's capital
A sandstorm swept across Beijing on Monday morning, turning the sky yellow, limiting visibility to less than 1,000 meters and disrupting traffic.
Beijing Meteorological Service issued a yellow alert for a sandstorm at 7:25 Monday morning, saying that Beijing is seeing dust and visibility is expected to be less than 1,000 meters in most areas in Beijing until noon.
Data released at 7am from Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center (BJMEMC) shows that the main pollutant in Beijing at present is PM10, with the air quality reaching the serious pollution level (level 6).
The sandstorm originated from central and northern Mongolia yesterday, gradually moving southward with air currents and affecting Beijing. "The combined action of the Mongolian cyclone and the cold high pressure provided a strong impetus for the sandstorm," said Zhang Bihui, a senior engineer with the National Meteorological Center (NMC).
According to the NMC, 12 provinces and cities will see sandstorms during the day and at night, with sandstorms in some areas. This is the most intense sandstorm in China in the last 10 years, and the most extensive sandstorm in the last 10 years.
