Air pollution in Beijing reached very high levels on Wednesday due to a sandstorm that blanketed other parts of the country in a haze of unhealthy oranges.
The official air quality index in the Chinese capital remained at 500, the highest level measured, synonymous with “serious pollution”. Unofficial readings showed a level twice as high.
Beijing authorities have issued weather warnings and urged people to reduce outdoor activities as visibility dropped to less than a kilometer in some places on Wednesday morning.
In parts of north and northwest China, including the semi-desert region of Inner Mongolia, high winds and dust have turned the sky an eerie orange hue.
Visibility was sometimes reduced to a few hundred meters, particularly due to the sand floating in the air.
According to the authorities, this pollution is mainly due to PM10 particles (less than 10 microns in diameter), which can be inhaled and make breathing problems worse.
Residents of affected areas should “protect themselves well from wind and sand and close doors and windows”, according to the weather services, which advise wearing a mask outdoors.
Children, the elderly and people with respiratory allergies should “limit their trips,” they also said.
Sandstorms are common in northern China in the spring, when winds kick up dust in this relatively dry part of the country.