Beijing was hit by a light sand storm on Monday as northwest
winds blew through the city changing the color of the sky to
orange, says the China Meteorological Administration (CMA).
By late afternoon, however, winds had subsided somewhat and blue
skies returned.
At midday visibility was less than 10 kilometers and people were
advised to restrict outdoor activities, said Sun Jun, a CMA senior
engineer.
Some areas in neighboring Hebei Province and Tianjin city
experienced the same conditions, while sand storms swept across the
southeastern part of Inner Mongolia and the western part of
Liaoning.
Over the next three days, the central, western and southeastern
parts of Inner Mongolia, the southwestern part of northeast China
and the southern part of Xinjiang can expect similar weather.
(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2007)
