Darkness at noon as worst dust storm in months mixes with morning smog
An acrid mix of desert dust and urban smog pushes capital's air quality index off the scale before arrival of lung-saving northwesterly change
The sun vanished and nearby buildings disappeared from view across northern China yesterday morning as the worst dust storm in months combined with thick, stagnant smog to create an acrid mix of air that deepened health concerns.
Just days before the opening of the National People's Congress (NPC) - a time when authorities are particularly keen on positive publicity - early risers saw Beijing shrouded in "hazardous" smog that reduced visibility to a few hundred metres.
Both the US embassy's Twitter feed and the official Beijing figures showed the air quality index reached the scale's maximum level of 500 in the late morning and early afternoon.
More than 20 flights were delayed or cancelled at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Similar, if not worse, conditions were seen across the region, including Tianjin , Shijiazhuang in Hebei , and across Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces. Most highways in Hebei were closed.