Six dead, dozens missing as Beijing, northern China and Mongolia hit by worst sandstorm in a decade
- Residents warned to wear protective clothing outside and stay clear of billboards, construction sites and other potential falling objects
- Sandstorm caused by hot, dry conditions meeting ‘Mongolian cyclone’, says China’s weather bureau
China has been hit by the worst sandstorm in a decade, with 12 provinces in the country’s north blanketed in yellow sand and dust, according to the National Meteorological Centre.
The sandstorm also covers the widest area seen in the past 10 years, from Xinjiang and Gansu in the northwest to the northern regions of Inner Mongolia and Hebei, the centre said in a notice on Monday.
Mongolia’s National Emergency Management Agency said on Monday that the strong sandstorms had caused six deaths and 81 people were missing in the country.
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Worst sandstorm in a decade hits Chinese capital, Beijing
China’s National Meteorological Centre issued a “yellow” sandstorm warning on Monday morning, the second lowest alert in China’s four-tier warning system, reminding the public in the affected regions to close doors and windows and wear masks and scarves to protect themselves. It also warned the sandstorm would likely last until Thursday.
“Starting from Monday to 8am Tuesday, affected by cold fronts and heavy winds, floating sand and dust are expected to sweep parts of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Gansu, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin,” it said, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Air quality in Beijing exceeded the maximum 500 level on Monday morning as yellow dust engulfed the city. Levels of harmful PM2.5 particulates – a key pollution indicator – had skyrocketed to 732 micrograms per cubic metre by 9am, according to the Blue Map, an app developed by Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, a Beijing-based NGO. The 24-hour mean standard of PM2.5 recommended by the World Health Organization is 25 micrograms per cubic metre.
Levels of PM10, a tiny inhalable particle linked to respiratory disease, soared to 9,350 micrograms per cubic metre in the capital, 180 times the maximum 24-hour mean recommended by the WHO. Visibility in the city plummeted to about 1km, according to the Beijing Meteorological Service, as experts suggested residents protect themselves while outdoors.