BEIJING (Reuters) – China’s capital Beijing woke up on Sunday morning shrouded in thick dust carrying extremely high levels of dangerous particles, as a second two-week sandstorm hit the city due to winds in Mongolia and northwest China. , affected by drought.
Visibility in the city was reduced, the tops of skyscrapers being hidden by the sandstorm, and pedestrians were forced to cover their eyes, while gusts of dust crossed the streets.
“It simply came to our notice then. There is always a day or two like this (pollution or dust) every month “, said Mr. Fan, aged 39, who did not want 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.
Particle readings smaller than PM2.5 were over 300 micrograms per cubic meter, much higher than China’s 35 microgram standard.
PM2.5 particles are particularly harmful because they are very small and can enter the bloodstream, while PM10 is a larger particle that can enter the lungs.
The Chinese Meteorological Administration issued a yellow alert on Friday, warning that a sandstorm was spreading from Mongolia to China’s northern provinces, including Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Liaoning and Hebei, which surround Beijing.
The meteorological bureau said the recent sandstorms that hit Beijing come from Mongolia, where relatively warmer temperatures this spring and reduced rainfall have led to larger areas of bare ground, creating favorable conditions for sandstorms.
Beijing could face several sandstorms in April due to bad weather this year, the weather bureau said.
Reporting by Sophie Yu, Judy Hua and Martin Pollard; Edited by Michael Perry