BEIJING (Reuters) – The Chinese capital, Beijing, woke up on Sunday morning shrouded in dense dust with extremely high levels of dangerous particles, while a second sandstorm in two weeks hit the city due to drought winds that hit Mongolia and northwest China.
Visibility in the city was reduced, with the tops of some skyscrapers obscured by the sandstorm, and pedestrians were forced to cover their eyes when gusts of dust swept the streets.
“It is very serious today. There are always a day or two like this (of pollution or dust) every month, ”said Fan, 39, who declined to reveal his full name.
Beijing’s official air quality index peaked at 500 on Sunday morning, with floating particles known as PM10 exceeding 2,000 micrograms per cubic meter in some districts.
The smaller PM2.5 particle readings were above 300 micrograms per cubic meter, much more than China’s standard of 35 micrograms.
PM2.5 particles are especially harmful because they are very small and can enter the bloodstream, while PM10 is a larger particle that can enter the lungs.
China’s Meteorological Administration issued a yellow alert on Friday, warning that a sandstorm was spreading from Mongolia to northern China’s provinces, including Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Liaoning and Hebei, which surround Beijing.
The meteorological office said the recent sandstorms that hit Beijing originated in Mongolia, where relatively higher temperatures this spring and reduced rains have resulted in larger areas of bare land, creating favorable conditions for sandstorms.
Beijing may face more sandstorms in April due to unfavorable weather this year, the meteorological office said.
Reporting by Sophie Yu, Judy Hua and Martin Pollard; Michael Perry Edition