.
BEIJING, 15 March, 2021, (TON): Residents urged to avoid outdoor activities as strong winds bring in dust from the northwest.
The China Meteorological Administration announced a yellow alert on Monday morning, saying that the sandstorms had spread from Inner Mongolia into the provinces of Gansu, Shanxi and Hebei, which surrounds Beijing.
Visibility was reduced to between 300 (984 feet) and 800 meters (2,624 feet), state media reported.
Beijing faces regular sandstorms in March and April as a result of its proximity to the enormous Gobi desert as well as deforestation throughout northern China.
Beijing and surrounding regions have been suffering from relatively high levels of pollution in recent weeks, with the city also shrouded in smog during the opening of parliament starting on March 5.
