A powerful sandstorm has engulfed Beijing and several northern provinces in China, blanketing the region in thick clouds of orange dust and pushing air pollution to dangerous levels, state weather authorities said on Wednesday.
Dense clouds “smothered” the Chinese capital, where the air quality index of PM10 — pollution particles that are less than 10 micrometers in diameter and can enter through the nose and travel to the lungs — exceeded monitoring charts, according to the Center. of Beijing Environmental Monitoring.
Meteorological authorities in Beijing warned people not to go outside for spotting activities and asked drivers to slow down due to low visibility.
Concentrations of PM10 particles reached 1,667 micrograms per cubic meter by 6am local time, with the agency calling it “the worst sandstorm so far this year”. This figure is more than 37 times the average daily guideline of 45 micrograms per cubic meter set by the World Health Organization.
Beijing is regularly hit by sandstorms in the spring with the smog exacerbated by increased industrial activities and rapid deforestation across northern China.
China uses a four-tier weather warning system, with red representing the most severe warning, followed by orange, yellow and blue.
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