Strongest sandstorm in decade engulfs northern China
Beijing was enveloped in yellow dust on Monday morning with visibility at less than 1 km, as the city's meteorological department issued a yellow warning for sandstorms, the third-most hazardous level.
In response to the dusty weather, Beijing Daxing International Airport launched a low visibility operation mechanism as visibility fell to only 400-800 meters at the airport, affecting a number of flights.
According to its weather report, the sandstorm blew from north China's Inner Mongolia autonomous region due to the effect of cyclones and strong winds. It arrived at northwestern Hebei province neighboring Beijing on Sunday night before moving toward the nation's capital.
The concentration of hazardous airborne PM10 particles in most areas exceeded 2,000 micrograms per cubic meter on Monday, according to the Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center.
