Thick Sandstorms Shroud Beijing, Air Quality Plummets

Police officers check cargo trains amid sandstorm at a border checkpoint in Erenhot, Inner Mongolia, China, on March 21, 2023. cnsphoto via Reuters

China’s capital city of Beijing was affected by dense sandstorms that severely affected visibility on Wednesday, shrouding buildings and roads in a thick blanket of dust.

The city, home to more than 21 million people, was issued a yellow sandstorm warning after experiencing sand and dust storms over the past several days, causing pollution levels to drastically increase.