Decade’s worst sandstorm hits China; several flights cancelled

Beijing on Monday was enveloped in yellow dust as the most powerful sandstorm in a decade swept through the capital and most parts of northern China, leading to the cancellation of several flights due to poor visibility.

Citizens of Beijing woke up to a bleak yellow sky, with visibility reduced to less than a few hundred metres. The concentration of hazardous airborne particles of PM10 in most areas exceeded 2,000 micrograms per cubic meter, the National Meteorological Center (NMC), which issued a yellow alert, said.

According to the NMC report, the sandstorm blew in from north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region due to the effect of cyclones and strong winds.

It arrived in Hebei Province, which neighbours Beijing, on Sunday night before moving toward the Chinese capital.