Beijingers experienced thick smog in the morning and haze from a yellow sandstorm in the afternoon, resulting in poor air quality, reduced visibility and disrupted traffic.
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"Northern China is entering sandstorm season, which usually lasts from March to May," said Chen Zhenlin, spokesman for the China Meteorological Administration, at a news conference on Thursday.
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According to real-time satellite images released by the National Meteorological Center, Beijing and Tianjin, Hebei, Shaanxi and Ningxia provinces and the Inner Mongolia autonomous region were hit by dusty winds on Thursday.
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Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center said the sand mainly came from the middle parts of Inner Mongolia, and asked residents to wear face masks outside or stay indoors to avoid the heavily polluted air.
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Beijingers experienced thick smog in the morning and haze from a yellow sandstorm in the afternoon, resulting in poor air quality, reduced visibility and disrupted traffic.
