China’s capital Beijing, and the country’s northern regions were hit by an unusual winter sandstorm, with Beijing’s air quality index exceeding alarming levels.
A heavy cloud of dust and dirt enveloped the air in Beijing yesterday morning, raising the air quality index in the city to 999, which is ten times higher than the guideline set by the World Health Organization.
The sandstorm that started in Mongolia also affected Beijing, Xinjiang, Hebei, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, with the sandstorm expected to continue until Tuesday.
The last time a winter sandstorm hit Beijing was in the year of 2015.