Sandstorm shrouds Beijing city

Dusty monochrome: A woman taking a photograph outside the Forbidden City during the sandstorm in Beijing. — AFP

BEIJING: The Chinese capital Beijing was enveloped in yellow dust with a visibility of less than 1km, as the city’s meteorological department issued a yellow warning for sandstorms, the third hazardous level.

In response to the dusty weather, Beijing Daxing International Airport launched a low visibility alert as the visibility reduced to 400-800m at the airport, affecting a number of flights.