Chinese weather authorities said on Wednesday that the country’s capital, Beijing and several provinces in China will be affected by thick, dense sandstorms that will severely affect visibility.
Yellow warning signals have been issued by the Central Meteorological Observatory from Wednesday to early morning Thursday for Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Shandong, Henan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Hubei provinces.
Forecasters said many areas will have low visibility and have cautioned drivers on speed as sandstorms will gradually move south and then weaken.
China has a four-tier, colour-coded weather-warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
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A yellow sandstorm warning has been issued on Beijing that has experienced sand and dust storms over the past several days, causing pollution levels to drastically increase.
Photos on social media showed people riding bicycles through the city amidst swirls of dust, with one showing a bike seat covered in sand.
According to the Beijing Ecological Environment Monitoring Center, Beijing on Wednesday recorded an air quality index of 500, pushing the pollution level to 6 – considered very hazardous to human health.
The city faces regular sandstorms during March and April because of its proximity to the massive Gobi desert, as well as deforestation throughout northern China.
Story was adapted from Reuters.
