China blanketed with floating sand and dust; yellow sand reaches Japan & South Korea
Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on April 13, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia. The yellow sand is now spreading to South Korea and Japan. Sandstorm was seen in Tokyo city for the first time since 2021.
Many areas in northern China were blanketed with floating sand and dust on April 13, and a sandstorm was expected to sweep through parts of Inner Mongolia. (Image: AP)
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The yellow sand is now spreading to South Korea and Japan. Sandstorm was seen in Tokyo city for the first time since 2021. Visibility reduced to between 5 and 10 kilometeres in some places. according to the Japan's Meteorological Agency, the dust is expected to cover most of the nation on April 13 and will continue to spread until April 14. (Image: AFP)
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The sandy, dusty weather and strong winds will last until April 16, the National Meteorological Center said in a statement, adding the public should take precautionary measures to guard against poor air quality. (Image: AFP)
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It renewed a blue alert for sandstorms — the least severe warning in the country’s four-tier weather warning system — and forecast that more than a dozen regions, including major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, would see some areas affected by floating sand and dust on April 13. (Image: AFP)
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Yellow sand is said to cause many allergy symptoms, like itchy eyes, conjuctivities, runny nose, sneezing. Dust can worsen respiratory diseases such as asthma and pneumonia. (Image: AP)
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In Beijing, buildings and traffic were shrouded by low visibility. The IQAir website showed an air quality index of 540 for the capital and labelled its air pollution level as “hazardous.” The Beijing Municipal Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center issued the highest air pollution warning. (Image: AP) (With inputs from agencies)
