Dust storms and smog revisit the streets of Beijing

Few words could better describe the weather in Beijing yesterday than the Chinese idiom "flying sand and rolling pebbles" as the capital city was gripped by its second smog-choked dust storm in less than 10 days.

Strong, dry winds struck the city at about 10am, bringing a wall of dust from the Mongolian frontier, reducing the already poor visibility from lingering haze on Thursday and Friday, and disrupting flights and high-speed trains.

While Beijing residents hunkered down indoors, some of the 5,000-plus delegates attending the annual legislative and political advisory sessions in the capital braved the chilly winds and choking sands.

For the first time, police on Beijing streets were seen wearing black masks designed to filter health-threatening PM2.5 pollutants and bacteria.

The roof of Beijing Capital International Airport's Terminal 3 was partly ripped open by a sudden whirlwind - at speeds of up 30 metres per second - at midday, the airport said.

Photos circulating on microblogs showed pieces of yellow roofing insulation that were blown onto the aircraft parking apron.

No casualties were reported.