New Delhi (NVI): The Chinese capital Beijing was covered in thick brown dust today as a result of heavy winds blowing in from Inner Mongolia and other parts of northwestern China.
Air quality indexes recorded a ‘hazardous’ 999 rating on Monday as commuters travelled to work through the thick, dark air across China’s capital and further west.
The sandstorm saw concentrations of the larger PM10 particles surpass 8,000 micrograms, according to media reports.
Chinese meteorological authorities issued a yellow alert shortly before 7.30 am, which will stay in place until midday, saying that the sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia into the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi, and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
Furthermore, a broader warning for sand and dust blowing in from the western desert regions was put in effect until Tuesday morning.
Beijing faces regular sandstorms in March and April as a result of its proximity to the massive Gobi desert as well as deforestation throughout northern China.
In addition to this, Beijing and surrounding regions have been suffering from relatively high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city also shrouded in smog during the opening of parliament which began earlier this month.
-CHK
