the capital of China And a large part of the country’s north joined the worst sandstorm in a decade on Monday (15), canceling hundreds of flights.
Skyscrapers in the center of Beijing Between dust and sand it “disappeared”, and more than 400 flights from the city’s two main airports were canceled due to strong winds and low visibility.
China faces worst sandstorm in 10 years
The National Meteorological Center states that Storm developed in gobi desert, Inner Mongolia region, And it is the most intense in ten years and also occupies the largest area.
The center predicts that sand and dust are expected to affect 12 provinces from the Xinjiang region to the northwest, from Heilongjiang in the far northeast, and to the port city of Tianjin near Beijing on the country’s eastern coast. (See map below).
These sandstorms were regular in the spring, When sand flows eastward from the western desert, Also affected in northern Japan.
Large-scale planting of trees and shrubs has reduced impacts in other parts of the country in recent years, but expanding cities and industries, combined with open-pit mining and livestock, exert constant pressure on the environment throughout the country .
With a mixture of desert and grassland, Inner Mongolia is particularly prone to extreme climates, resulting in resource exploitation.
Cyclist in the middle of a sandstorm during a crowd in Beijing’s business district on Monday (15) – Photo: Mark Schiffelbein / AP
Vehicles on Beijing Expressway amidst sandstorms reducing air quality in the capital of China – Photo: Mark Schiffelbein / AP
Till now It is not clear whether pollution in Beijing also contributed to the incident., Which suffers from a recent general decline in air quality.
The Chinese Communist Party has promised to reduce carbon emissions by 18% over the next five years and has been trying for years to improve air quality in the capital and other major cities.
But environmentalists say China needs to do more to reduce its dependence on coal, making it the world’s largest emitter of gases causing climate change.
Woman walks on foot bridge between sandstorms in Beijing’s commercial district – Photo: Mark Schiffelbein and AP.
The cyclist tries to cover his face in the middle of the sandstorm that took him to Beijing on this Monday (15) – Photo: NG Hanuman / AP.
