Sandstorm causes severe air pollution, traffic disruption in Beijing


A cyclist and motorists move past office buildings amid a sandstorm during the morning rush hour in the central business district in Beijing, Monday, March 15, 2021. The sandstorm brought a tinted haze to Beijing's skies and sent air quality indices soaring on Monday. - AP
BEIJING, March 15 (Bernama): A strong sandstorm in the Chinese capital led to major traffic disruptions in the city on Monday morning, a Sputnik correspondent reported.

A yellow alert was issued in Beijing on Monday.

The concentration of harmful PM2.5 particles in the air was about eight times the standard level (247 microgrammes per cubic metre vs the recommended 25 microgrammes).

Visibility was limited to less than 1,000 metres (0.6 miles).

Cars were driving with headlights on and severe traffic jams occurred across the city in the early hours of Monday.

The city authorities recommended that outdoor events are cancelled.

The sandstorm moved to Beijing from Mongolia, where it originated, according to the Beijing environmental monitoring centre. - Bernama

Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

RM 11.12/month

Billed as RM 11.12 for the 1st month, RM 13.90 thereafter.

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 9.87/month

Billed as RM 118.40 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
China , Beijing , Sandstorm

Next In Aseanplus News

Sara Duterte asks Senate to foot bill for exclusive catering at trial
Middle East oil supply is at risk again as it extends gains to near six-week highs due to the US-Iran conflict
Two relatives remanded in custody in Karachi minor girl’s rape-murder case
Nepal moves to make climbing Mount Everest tougher
Chinese man arrested in Tokyo over unlicensed taxi service to tourists
Tehran's security services did not mistreat French diplomats, Iranian ministry official quoted
Japan PM Takaichi finally gets five hours of sleep
Japan sizzles in first 'brutally hot' days of the year
Gold hits two-week high as Fed outlook, Mideast conflict stay in focus
More ancient gold ornaments unearthed at Thailand burial site

Others Also Read